İmamoğlu, a leading opposition figure and keyrival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was dismissed from office and jailedon Sunday. “This time, my lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan was arrested on fabricatedcharges,” the mayor wrote on X, referring to the lawyer who represented him inhis latest legal case. “As if a coup against democracy weren’t enough — theycan’t tolerate its victims defending themselves.”
— Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu) March 27, 2025
The Izmir Bar Association denounced the arrestof two lawyers from the Aegean coastal city earlier this week. Both were laterreleased.
“Let journalists do their job. Stop theseunlawful arrests,” the union said, echoing the global press freedom message:“Journalism is not a crime.”
On Thursday, Turkish authorities expelled BBCcorrespondent Mark Lowen, who had traveled to cover the unrest. The governmentsaid he posed a “threat to public order.”
Minors have also been among those targeted.According to the Istanbul Bar Association, at least 20 minors were detainedbetween March 22 and 25. As of Friday, seven remained in custody. CHP lawmakersreported receiving testimonies from youth and minors alleging mistreatment inpolice custody.
Student groups have called for classroomboycotts in response to the repression, with some reporting threats ofexpulsion from university administrators. In a symbolic move, the DISK laborunion — one of Turkiye's largest — urged members to halt work at noon on Fridayand gather at designated protest points. Students in Izmir also joined thecall.
Tunç rejected suggestions that İmamoğlu’sarrest was politically motivated, calling allegations against Erdogan “unjust,unlawful, and baseless.”
“They’re trying to link a judicialinvestigation to our president,” he said. “We categorically reject theseirresponsible statements.”
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