Hundreds of thousands of people have gathered for a massive protest in Istanbul, organized by Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), to oppose the arrest of the city’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, on charges of corruption. This has sparked one of the largest street protests against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom Imamoglu is seen as the only politician capable of challenging in a presidential election. The CHP, along with human rights groups and Western governments, believe that Imamoglu’s arrest is politically motivated.
Imamoglu, who has been designated as the CHP’s candidate for the upcoming election, addressed the crowd with a letter from his detention cell, calling for unity against his “unlawful” arrest. He appealed to the public, stating, “I am not afraid at all. Because our dear nation is united,” and urged them to stand against tyranny.
Protesters were seen on ferries crossing the Bosphorus, chanting slogans that have become symbolic of their resistance, such as “Everywhere is Taksim, resistance is everywhere,” referring to the significant protests centered around the iconic Taksim Square in 2013. Despite the largely peaceful nature of the demonstrations, nearly 2,000 people have been detained nationwide, with 260 being jailed pending trial as of Thursday, according to the Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
President Erdogan has dismissed the protests as a “show” and called on the CHP to stop “provoking” the public. Meanwhile, the authorities have continued their crackdown on media coverage of the protest movement. A Swedish journalist, Joakim Medin, was detained upon arrival in Turkey for covering the protests and was later formally jailed on Friday on charges of insulting the president and belonging to a “terrorist organization”. Turkish authorities have arrested some 13 journalists in five days, highlighting the ongoing tension and restrictions on press freedom during the protests.
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Source: https://www.dw.com/en/turkey-hundreds-of-thousands-join-istanbul-protest/a-72082321?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
