Recently, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan characterized the protests ignited by the detention of Istanbul’s mayor as a “movement of violence.” He asserted that the main opposition party would bear responsibility for the injuries sustained by police officers and the resulting property damage.
The arrest of Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu last Wednesday, who is regarded as Mr. Erdoğan’s principal political rival, has catalyzed the largest street demonstrations in Turkey in over a decade. A court sentenced İmamoğlu to jail pending trial on corruption charges that he vehemently denies.
The Republican People’s Party (CHP), which is led by İmamoğlu, claims that these accusations are politically driven and undemocratic—a contention that is firmly rejected by Erdoğan’s administration.
Crowds converged in Istanbul’s Besiktas district, amplifying calls for justice.
After a cabinet meeting in Ankara, President Erdoğan urged the CHP to cease “provoking” the public. “As a nation, we were taken aback by the escalation that followed the main opposition leader’s incitement to take to the streets in light of an Istanbul-centered corruption operation,” the 71-year-old president remarked. “The main opposition is responsible for our injured police officers, the shattered windows of shopkeepers, and the damaged public property. They must be held politically accountable in parliament and legally accountable by the judiciary.”
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya further accused the demonstrators of “terrorizing” the streets, framing their actions as a threat to national security. He reported that 1,133 individuals had been detained over the course of five days, and that 123 police officers had sustained injuries.
In response to the police’s more aggressive actions, a CHP delegation held talks with Istanbul’s governor. CHP’s Istanbul head, Özgür Çelik, articulated that the police intervention on Sunday night had been particularly brutal, leaving many protesters hospitalized.
During a rally attended by hundreds of thousands outside Istanbul’s municipality headquarters in Saraçhane, CHP leader Mr. Özel reiterated calls for a boycott of media and brands perceived as pro-Erdoğan. He proclaimed that all charges against İmamoğlu are baseless, asserting, “Whoever Tayyip Erdoğan unjustly puts in jail, this square is defending them, for democracy and for Turkey.”
Mr. Özel urged for sustained protests, as crowds waved flags and chanted slogans calling for the government’s resignation. He also announced plans to appeal for İmamoğlu’s release while advocating for his trial to be broadcast on the state-run TRT television.
He extended a challenge to Erdoğan for a public debate and implored protesters to maintain decorum to avoid clashes. Meanwhile, in various parts of Istanbul, sit-in protests disrupted traffic, while simultaneous gatherings occurred in other cities, including Ankara.
Following Mr. Özel’s speech, police resorted to using pellets, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse demonstrators in Istanbul, leading to multiple arrests. In Ankara, protesters appealed to law enforcement to allow them to march peacefully in front of water cannon trucks.
As a significant moment in Turkish politics, Mr. İmamoğlu, aged 54, was imprisoned pending trial yesterday while the CHP orchestrated a primary election to nominate a presidential candidate. Approximately 15 million votes expressed support for the mayor.
The news of İmamoğlu’s arrest dominated the front pages of Turkish newspapers, particularly among opposition media, which suggested that the mayor was targeted due to his status as Erdoğan’s most viable challenger. Supporters of İmamoğlu expressed that his incarceration exemplified a grave injustice in Turkey, with one 22-year-old construction worker, Adem Bali, stating, “I think there is an injustice committed against İmamoğlu. They put the man in prison for no reason.”
Rights organizations and European countries have viewed İmamoğlu’s arrest as indicative of democratic erosion in Turkey, prompting criticism of the police’s forceful intervention. Germany noted that this situation makes Turkey’s long-standing aspirations for EU membership “increasingly hollow.”
In light of these developments, a meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee was postponed, as the EU delegation determined that current circumstances were not conducive to discussions.
The CHP has also signaled plans to appeal against a decision by Istanbul University to revoke İmamoğlu’s diploma—necessary for his eligibility as a presidential candidate—while legal teams are preparing to contest his arrest.
Focusing on the broader economic implications, President Erdoğan, who has shaped Turkish politics for over two decades and currently faces no immediate electoral threats, contended that the recent events illustrate that the CHP is ill-suited to govern local municipalities, let alone the nation. He sought to calm investors amid a sell-off of Turkish assets last week, which led to a decline in stocks, bonds, and the value of the lira, pressuring the central bank to intervene with foreign exchange support and other stabilizing measures.
“Our primary objective is to safeguard macro-financial stability,” Erdoğan asserted, emphasizing the collaborative efforts of the Treasury, finance ministry, central bank, and relevant institutions to navigate these challenges. The Istanbul stock market managed to recover some losses after experiencing a staggering 16.6% decline last week—its most significant drop since the financial crisis of October 2008.
Analysts predict a prolonged era of political turbulence and uncertainty. “The protests signal the most significant and widespread public response we have seen in over a decade, making the unfolding events difficult to predict,” noted Wolfango Piccoli, co-president of Teneo consultancy. He warned, “Once again, President Erdoğan’s political agenda has inflicted serious damage on Turkey’s economic outlook.”
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
