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News|Protests

Protesters rally in Turkiye as Imamoglu jailed

Hundreds of thousands protesting across Turkiye over jailing of leading opposition figure have been met by police wielding water cannon and tear gas.

Protesters hold a Turkish national flag as they clash with Turkish antiriot police.
Protesters hold a Turkish national flag as they clash with riot police in Ankara [Adem Altan/AFP]
Published On 24 Mar 202524 Mar 2025
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The jailing of Istanbul’s embattled Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure, has triggered Turkiye’s most significant street unrest in years.

Just four days after his arrest in a predawn raid involving hundreds of police officers, Imamoglu was stripped of his mayoral title on Sunday and transferred to Silivri Prison on the outskirts of Istanbul.

His jailing stems from a court order mandating his formal arrest on corruption charges. The court opted not to formalise an arrest in a separate “terrorism” investigation. The Ministry of Interior announced his suspension from office as mayor of Turkiye’s largest city.

Government officials have rejected accusations that the legal action against the opposition figure is politically motivated and insisted that Turkiye’s courts operate independently.

However, as the protests raged, the authorities demanded the closure of hundreds of social media accounts.

More than 700 accounts on X, including those belonging to “news organisations, journalists, political figures, students, and others within Turkiye”, were targeted, the X company said.

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Describing the government’s move as “unlawful”, X affirmed its commitment to defending free speech through legal channels.

However, it is reported that several accounts have been suspended by the US company, including some involved in coordinating the protests.

The crackdown has caused widespread anger among citizens, many of whom had supported Imamoglu in past elections.

Riot police deployed rubber bullets and pepper spray during clashes with protesters in Istanbul, while demonstrators in Ankara were met with water cannons.

Despite a ban on protests in Turkiye’s three largest cities and a stern warning from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against “street terror”, unrest has spread rapidly, reflecting deepening tensions in the country.

Protesters rally in Istanbul as Imamoglu jailed in graft probe
A demonstrator wearing dervish clothes and a gas mask stands in front of riot police during protests in Istanbul. [Murad Sezer/Reuters]
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Protesters rally in Istanbul as Imamoglu jailed in graft probe
Protesters clash with riot police as they try to march to Taksim Square from the Istanbul municipality headquarters. [Erdem Sahim/EPA]
Protesters rally in Istanbul as Imamoglu jailed in graft probe
Riot police hold back protesters gathered in Ankara's Kizilay Square. [Harun Ozalp/Anadolu]
Protesters rally in Istanbul as Imamoglu jailed in graft probe
Police use pepper spray to disperse protesters gathered in Istanbul. [Kemal Aslan/AFP]
Protesters rally in Istanbul as Imamoglu jailed in graft probe
Fireworks thrown by protesters explode over riot police in Istanbul. [Francisco Seco/AP Photo]
Protesters rally in Istanbul as Imamoglu jailed in graft probe
Many people in Istanbul expressed anger over the move against a mayor whom they had elected. [Francisco Seco/AP Photo]
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Protesters rally in Istanbul as Imamoglu jailed in graft probe
Riot police clash with protesters trying to march to Taksim Square in Istanbul. [Erdem Sahin/EPA]
Protesters rally in Istanbul as Imamoglu jailed in graft probe
Police officers detain a protester in Ankara. [Cagla Gurdogan/Reuters]


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