Shafaq News/ Turkish authorities have steppedup a sweeping crackdown on protests triggered by the arrest of Istanbul MayorEkrem İmamoğlu, detaining hundreds of demonstrators, journalists, and lawyers —including minors — in recent days.
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.”
Yasakçı akılda ne yalan biter ne de iftira. Bu sefer de uyduruk gerekçelerle avukatım Mehmet Pehlivan gözaltına alındı. Demokrasi darbesi yaptıkları yetmiyormuş gibi bu darbenin mağdurlarının kendilerini savunmasına da tahammül edemiyorlar. Demokrasi darbesine hukuk darbesini de…
— Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu) March 27, 2025The Izmir Bar Association denounced the arrestof two lawyers from the Aegean coastal city earlier this week. Both were laterreleased.
The Journalists’ Union of Turkiye said twofemale reporters were arrested at dawn at their homes after covering protestsoutside Istanbul’s municipal building. The demonstrations were called byİmamoğlu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP). The two journalists, Nisa SudDemirel and Elif Bayburt, work for media outlets critical of the government.
“Let journalists do their job. Stop theseunlawful arrests,” the union said, echoing the global press freedom message:“Journalism is not a crime.”
According to the Interior Ministry, nearly2,000 people have been detained since March 19 during demonstrations banned bythe government. Authorities said that 260 of them have been jailed, while about400 were released under judicial supervision.
On Thursday, Turkish authorities expelled BBCcorrespondent Mark Lowen, who had traveled to cover the unrest. The governmentsaid he posed a “threat to public order.”
That same day, a Turkish court ordered therelease of 10 journalists arrested while reporting on what have becomeTurkiye’s largest anti-government protests in decades. Among those freed wasAFP photographer Yasin Akgul, who had been detained early Monday morning at hishome in Istanbul and released that evening.
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.
Despite the crackdown, student-led protestsgathered momentum Thursday night in Ankara and Istanbul, with crowds callingfor democratic rights and justice. In Istanbul, police surrounding thedemonstrators reportedly demanded to see their faces before allowing them topass, prompting many to cover their faces to avoid identification, AFP said.
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.
Defending the government’s response, JusticeMinister Yilmaz Tunç said Turkiye remains “a state governed by law” andinsisted the judiciary is “independent and impartial.” He justified the massdetentions by claiming many of the protesters had "engaged inviolence."
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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