Situation in Turkey under control, protests doomed to fail: Official
6 Min Read
A senior Turkish official reassured that the situation in Turkey remains under control amid ongoing protests, stressing that authorities are showing significant restraint.
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A protester lights a flare as others shout slogans during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkey, on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP)
A senior official from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration stated on Wednesday that the situation in Turkey remains under control, emphasizing that "authorities and law enforcement agencies are exercising significant restraint" in handling the protests.
Speaking to Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency, the source described the demonstrations as an attempt to "destabilize the country and undermine its economy," asserting that "such efforts are destined to fail."
"The adversaries who sought to exploit the situation for their own interests have been sidelined. Türkiye and its people are resilient and capable of countering any provocation," the official added.
Regarding tourism, the source reassured that there are no security concerns for visitors. "Government agencies regularly check with tourism companies to monitor any potential disruptions, and no complaints have been reported so far," he noted.
While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised Washington’s "concerns" over recent arrests and widespread protests in Turkey during a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the US president praised Erdogan as a "good leader".
Rubio expresses concerns, Trump praises Erdogan
Following discussions in Washington, a State Department spokeswoman stated, "The Secretary expressed concerns regarding recent arrests and protests in Türkiye." The talks also covered bilateral cooperation on security and trade.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump described Turkey as "a good place" and praised President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as "a good leader."
Trump made the remarks at the White House during a meeting with ambassadorial nominees on Tuesday, where each nominee introduced themselves and their designated countries.
When Tom Barrack, the nominee for Turkey, spoke about the country, he highlighted its historical significance.
"Türkiye is one of the most ancient civilisations," said Barrack.
In response, Trump said, "Good place, good leader, too."
Trump announced Barrack's nomination for the ambassadorship in December.
Erdogan said Monday that relations with the US can gain "significant momentum."
"I believe that we should and will achieve this for the sake of our region despite all the challenges, despite especially lobbies seeking to poison the two countries' cooperation," Erdogan told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.
1,400+ arrested in Turkey in protests supporting detained Istanbul mayor
Turkish authorities have arrested more than 1,400 people protesting Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu's arrest, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Tuesday.
Demonstrations backing Imamoglu, a member of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), have been ongoing since last week in Sarachane Square, outside the metropolitan municipality building. Authorities have banned protests in Istanbul and several other Turkish cities, yet gatherings have continued.
"From March 19 to Tuesday, 1,418 suspects were detained during illegal demonstrations. 478 of them will be brought to court today," Yerlikaya wrote on X.
He also condemned protesters who insulted the late mother of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and vowed that security forces would not tolerate any attacks on Turkey’s national and spiritual values, pledging to prevent attempts to "terrorize the streets."
On Monday, Erdogan urged the opposition to avoid fueling unrest in the country.
Imamoglu, who is widely regarded as Erdogan’s main challenger in the 2028 presidential election, was detained on allegations of links to an organization involved in corruption, bribery, and aiding terrorism. However, prosecutors' efforts to secure his formal arrest in the terrorism probe were rejected.
His detention has ignited widespread protests across Turkey, with demonstrators defying government-imposed security measures and a ban on rallies in Istanbul that remains in place.
As detentions continue, the European Commission called on the Republic to uphold democratic values and respect the right of its citizens to peaceful demonstrations, European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier said on Monday.
"As a Council of Europe member and EU candidate, Turkey must uphold democratic values. These rights, the rights of elected officials, as well as the right of the peaceful demonstrations need to be fully respected," Mercier stated during a midday briefing.
'Never lose hope,' Istanbul mayor tells supporters
In light of the events, Imamoglu told his supporters to "never be sad, never be despondent, never lose hope. We will... remove this black stain on our democracy with our own hands. The day will come when people in charge of this process will answer before the Almighty, both in this world and the next. I stand tall, I will never be broken. Everything will be great," in a post on his X account.
His message comes amid rising political tensions and protests across Istanbul, where demonstrators have defied bans on public gatherings to condemn what many see as politically motivated charges.
On the same day as Imamoglu's address, Turkish media reported new legal developments. Sozcu TV confirmed that a court had issued a formal arrest warrant for Imamoglu, while Star newspaper reported that a separate request for his arrest in a terrorism investigation was rejected.
According to Halk TV, the mayor plans to challenge the decision, with the final ruling expected from the Constitutional Court.
Later, the primary, organized by Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), saw around 15 million people cast their votes, according to the municipality.
"Out of a total of 15 million votes, 13,211,000 were solidarity votes from non-party members," the municipality stated, highlighting broad public backing for Imamoglu.
The event, which was meant to officially position him as the CHP’s candidate for the 2028 presidential race, took place just hours before an Istanbul court formalized his arrest in a corruption probe.
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