Turkiye arrests more protestors amid widespread crackdown
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Turkish authorities arrested an opposition lawyer and two Turkish journalists, while foreign journalists faced their share of detentions as Turkiye intensified its crackdown on protests.
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Riot police officers clash with protesters during a protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Turkiye, on Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP)
Turkiye has escalated its arrest campaign targeting Erdogan's opposition, arresting a lawyer and several journalists as the wave of protests continues 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.
"As if the coup against democracy was not enough, they cannot tolerate the victims defending themselves. The evil that a handful of incompetent people are inflicting on our country is growing," the mayor stated, calling on the authorities to release the layer immediately.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Journalists' Union (TGS) reported that two female journalists were arrested in dawn raids on their homes.
"Another dawn raid. Two of our colleagues who were following the #Sarachane protests were detained," the TGS X post stated, "Let journalists do their job! Stop these unlawful detentions," the Union added.
Swedish Journalist Joakim Medin was held in detention as he arrived in Turkiye to cover the protests, according to Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard and the Dagens ETC newspaper on Friday.
Turkish authorities released 11 journalists who were arrested on Monday for covering the protest; among them was AFP photographer Yasin Akgul.
"The decision to throw me in jail came even though my identity as a journalist was known, and evidence provided to prove it," Akgul told AFP, adding that "I hope no other journalists will face a situation like this. But unfortunately, I fear that arbitrary acts to silence journalists and stop them from doing their job will continue in Turkey."
BBC journalist Mark Lowen was held for 17 hours on Wednesday on the grounds of posing "a threat to public order," contradicting the Turkish communications directorate which claimed Lowen was deported "due to a lack of accreditation."
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.
