The kind of demonstrations not seen for more than ten years: since Wednesday 19 March, citizens of Turkey have been taking to the streets to protest against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP, Islamo-conservative). The catalyst was the arrest, at dawn on the same day, of Ekrem İmamoğlu (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, CHP, centre-left), the mayor of Istanbul and the president’s main rival, as part of a corruption investigation. Coming just a few days before İmamoğlu’s announced nomination as a candidate for the 2028 presidential election, the arrest is seen by many as a clear attempt to muzzle the opposition. In total, around one hundred people linked to the CHP were arrested along with İmamoğlu.
The protests, which began with thousands of people, have only intensified. The response from authorities has been harsh: in addition to the violent repression of the demonstrations, more than 1,000 people have been arrested, including many journalists.
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