Turkey is relaxing more than 1,400 demonstrators and several journalists after imprisonment of a leading opposition figure

Cnn

A Turkish court placed on Tuesday seven journalists in detention after being arrested while covering the Protests in IstanbulIncluding a photojournalist by the French AFP press agency, according to a non -profit organization and AFP of media freedom.

AFP strongly condemns the detention of his journalist and photographer Yasin Akgl and calls for his immediate release. This is a serious attack on media freedom, AFP said in a statement. AFP calls on Turkish authorities to respect the freedom of the press and the work of journalists, essential pillars of any democratic society.

Six other journalists were also arrested on Tuesday, according to Turkish freedom of non -profit Association of media and law studies (MLSA).

Demonstrations took place through Turkey during last week, especially in the largest city in Istanbul and the capital Ankara, in the middle of the anger of the imprisonment of the mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu The main political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Imamoglu was arrested for corruption at his home last Wednesday, just a few days before he was appointed candidate for the 2028 presidential election.

He has denied the charges held against him and the criticisms say that arrest represents a dangerous turning point for Turkey, which has become more and more authoritarian in recent years, according to International surveillance groups. In an article on X, Imamoglu said that we are going, hand in hand, uproot this blow, this black spot on our democracy I stand up, I will not bow.

The authorities of the Governor of Istanbul have prohibited protests and closed certain roads in order to maintain public order and prevent any provocative actions that may arise.

Since last Wednesday, 1,418 demonstrators have been detained, according to the Minister of the Interior, Ali Yerlikaya, following six days of demonstrations that the government deemed illegal.

Although there are currently 979 suspects in detention, 478 people will be brought to justice today, said Yerlikaya in a social media position. No concession will be made to those who try to terrorize the streets, to attack our national and moral values ​​and to our police officers.

AFP photographer AKGL has covered new Turkish policies for AFP for 10 years, according to the news agency.

His imprisonment is unacceptable. This is why I ask you to intervene as quickly as possible to obtain the rapid release of our journalist, said the president of AFP, Fabrice Fries in a letter addressed to the Turkish presidency.

Yasin Akgl was not part of the demonstration. As a journalist, he covered one of the many demonstrations organized in the country since Wednesday, March 19, said Fries. He took exactly 187 photographs since the start of the demonstrations, each witness to his work as a journalist.

The media and critical journalists with the government have long faced censorship in Türkiye, according to Journalists Without BordersWho says tactics such as eliminating them pressing is commonplace.

The government controls approximately 90% of national media in Türkiye, reported journalists without borders.

Meanwhile, Freedom House, a non-profit research organization based in the United States, labeled Turkey is not free Regarding the freedom of the Internet and the Media, citing several laws promulgated by the Party of Justice and Power Development (AKP) which increases censorship and surveillance and criminalize online discourse.

The head of the country's strong country Erdogan has been in power since 2003, as Prime Minister of Turkeys, and later as president since 2014. In 2014, a vote of referendum was adopted which widened the presidential powers of Erdogans, potentially allowing him to remain in office until 2029.

The main opposition party of the turkeys, the Party of the Republican Peoples (CHP), said on Tuesday that it was planning a rally on Saturday in Istanbul.

CNNS Mohammed Tawfeeq, Niamh Kennedy and Nadeen Ebrahim contributed to this report.