Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Qatari Foreign Ministry: "Israel" should have already ceased fire under Trump plan for Gaza
Qatari Foreign Ministry: Release of Israeli captives will mark end of war in Gaza in accordance with Trump plan.
Israeli media: Security incident in Gaza Strip classified as serious results in six wounded soldiers so far, two critically injured.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli drone strike targets vehicle in Deir Ames, Tyre governorate.
Lebanese Ministry of Health: Final toll from airstrike on car in Zebdine, Nabatieh District: Two martyrs, four injured
Egyptian media: Indirect talks between Hamas and Israelis begin in Sharm el-Sheikh.
AFP: France's new PM Sebastein Lecornu resigns just hours after unveiling cabinet.
Trump: Technical teams will meet again on Monday in Egypt to discuss and clarify the final details, and the first phase is scheduled to be completed this week
US President Donald Trump: Talks with Hamas have been very successful and are moving at a rapid pace
Local sources in Aleppo: Violent clashes erupt between the SDF and factions affiliated with the transitional authority on the Deir Hafer and Tishrin Dam fronts in the eastern Aleppo countryside

Millions demonstrate against Imamoglu arrest in Istanbul

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 29 Mar 2025 15:20
  • 2 Shares
3 Min Read

Some two million people protest in Turkey's Istanbul over the arrest of mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu.

Listen
  • x
  • Supporters wave Turkish and CHP party flags during a rally protesting the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkiye, Saturday, March 29, 2025 (AP)
    Supporters wave Turkish and CHP party flags during a rally protesting the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, Turkiye, Saturday, March 29, 2025 (AP)

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) organized a massive demonstration in Maltepe Square, Istanbul, on Saturday to protest the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

According to Al Mayadeen’s Turkiye bureau chief, Saturday's protest marks the largest demonstration since March 19, with CHP leader Ozgur Ozel stating that over 2.2 million people had gathered in Istanbul.

“This is about Turkiye’s future”

Addressing the crowd, CHP’s Istanbul branch head Ugur Celik emphasized that the protests are not just about Imamoglu but about "the entire country and the future of Turkiye."

"Erdogan refuses to hear the voices of young people. He gives unlawful orders and avoids responsibility. He even blames external forces, interest rate lobbies, farmers, traders, and even grocery store and bakery owners for the economic crisis he created," Celik said in his speech.

He then read a letter from Imamoglu, in which the imprisoned mayor declared: "I have committed no crime, and I am proud of what I have done as mayor. I do not need to prove my innocence—Erdogan is the one who must prove his. He is orchestrating a political conspiracy against me and hiding behind secret witnesses."

Related News

Turkey's Imamoglu warns of democratic crisis if barred from election

Istanbul mayor Imamoglu sentenced as Erdogan intensifies crackdown

Widespread protests, opposition mobilized

Since Imamoglu’s imprisonment, mass protests have erupted across multiple Turkish cities, with opposition groups condemning the arrest as a direct attack on political freedoms.

The opposition-controlled Istanbul city council recently elected Nuri Aslan as the temporary mayor to manage city affairs until further legal developments.

Imamoglu was jailed pending trial on corruption charges, which he and his supporters vehemently deny, calling them politically motivated. His arrest has galvanized Turkiye’s opposition, sparking student movements and nationwide demonstrations.

His detention and the consequent protest have led to a harsh government crackdown, drawing sharp condemnation from human rights organizations and international criticism.

Escalating arrests campaign

Turkiye escalated its arrest campaign on Friday, arresting a lawyer and several journalists as the wave of protests continued for the second week.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu's lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, was arrested in an overnight raid on Thursday, prompting Imamoglu to claim that Pehlivan was "detained on fictitious grounds," in a post on X published by his legal team.

Turkish authorities have arrested more than 1,400 people protesting Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu's arrest, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Tuesday. 

It is worth noting that in Istanbul, at least 511 students were detained, many during predawn raids, with 275 of them being jailed, according to lawyer Ferhat Guzel, who acknowledged that the actual number was "probably much higher."

The authorities have also intensified their crackdown on media coverage, arresting 13 Turkish journalists in just five days, deporting a BBC correspondent, and detaining a Swedish reporter who arrived in Istanbul to report on the unrest.

  • Turkiye
  • Ekrem Imamoglu
  • Istanbul
  • Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Most Read

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

  • West Asia
  • 30 Sep 2025
Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
ap

'Israel' pays influencers $7K per post to whitewash Gaza genocide

  • Politics
  • 1 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Hezbollah's representative in Iran, Sayyed Abdullah Safieddine, during an interview with Al Mayadeen which aired on October 6, 2025 (Al Mayadeen)
Politics

Tehran never interferes in Hezbollah decisions: Representative in Iran

Smoke billows over the Gaza Strip following an Israeli bombardment, as seen from southern Palestine, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Indirect talks for a ceasefire in Gaza begin in Sharm El-Sheikh

Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) prepare to attend a military parad in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, Tuesday, August 12, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Security forces seal Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh districts

Amsterdam Captain Mohammed Ali Mohiuddin, who took part in the Global Sumud mission to Gaza, talks to Al Mayadeen on October 6, 2025 (Screengrab)
Politics

GSF captain says despite abuse, 'Israel weaker than spider's web'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS