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Crowd with a Turkish Flag on a Street by Emir Bozkurt via Pexels, 2017
The largest anti-government protest started in Turkiye on March 19, 2025. Thousands of demonstrators have since taken to the streets in growing protests across Turkiye.
The protests broke out after the sudden arrest of Istanbul’s Mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu. İmamoğlu served as mayor of the Beylikdüzü district between 2014 and 2019. In 2019, he became the mayor of Istanbul after winning the re-run elections, which were held because the first results got annulled. Later in 2022, İmamoğlu was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison and was banned from politics for allegedly insulting the Election Council during the 2019 mayoral elections’ annulment process.
Besides being Istanbul’s mayor, İmamoğlu was recently chosen as the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate for the 2028 presidential election. He is widely considered the strongest challenger to the current president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Tensions rose on 18 March, just a day before his arrest, when Istanbul University annulled his bachelor’s degree. This move could directly threaten his presidential candidacy because, under Turkish law, any candidate must hold at least a higher education degree to run for president.
On 19 March, İmamoğlu was arrested and charged with corruption, aiding the PKK, and leading a criminal organisation. By Sunday, the court ruled that he would be jailed without bail pending trial for the corruption charges. The terrorism charges were later dropped. İmamoğlu denied all accusations against him.
Demonstrations started immediately after his arrest in Istanbul and quickly spread to more than 55 of Turkiye’s 81 provinces, including Ankara, Izmir, and other major cities. His detention has deepened concerns over the state of democracy and the rule of law in the country.
While most protests have remained peaceful, there were clashes with riot police in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. Police responded with rubber bullets, tear gas, pepper spray, and water cannons. Protesters fought back with fireworks, stones, and other objects. Turkish police have detained over 1,000 people across the country, including several journalists.
Many view İmamoğlu’s imprisonment as a political move aimed at removing the main opposition figure ahead of the presidential election. Government officials, however, strongly reject such claims and insist that Turkiye’s judiciary operates independently.
President Erdoğan described the protests over İmamoğlu’s arrest as “evil” and accused demonstrators of turning the protests into a “movement of violence”. He blamed the main opposition party for the injured police officers and the damage caused during the demonstrations. Erdoğan stated: “The main opposition is responsible for our injured police officers, the broken windows of our shopkeepers, and the damaged public property. They will be held accountable for all this, politically in parliament and legally by the judiciary”.
Despite bans imposed on street gatherings in many cities and the tense atmosphere, the anti-government demonstrations continue.
Sources and Further Readings:
Estelle Nilson-Julien (24.03.25). Turkey detains journalists as protests against the jailing of Erdogan rival rock nation. – Euronews. Accessed March 25th, 2025. https://www.euronews.com/2025/03/24/turkey-detains-journalists-as-protests-against-jailing-of-key-erdogan-rival-rock-the-natio
Burak Unveren (23.03.25). Turkey: Who is Erdogan’s popular rival Ekrem Imamoglu? – DW. Accessed March 25th, 2025. https://www.dw.com/en/turkey-who-is-erdogans-popular-rival-ekrem-imamoglu/a-72010940
Rachel clun (25.03.25). Turkey protests: Everything we know about mass demonstrations after Erdogan rival jailed. – INDEPENDENT. Accessed March 25th, 2025. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/turkey-protests-istanbul-erdogan-imamoglu-b2720961.html
James Gregory (24.03.25). Why are thousands of people protesting in Turkey? – BBC. Accessed March 25th, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czrnzdkp68eo
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