Turkey on the verge

Today, demonstrations in Turkey have not stopped following the arrest of the most influential opposition figure who could compete with Erdogan, the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu. Students can be seen taking the lead in these demonstrations. According to local media, the police used force against students at Istanbul University during their protests. A local journalist reported that students who took to the streets in support of Ekrem Imamoglu broke through police barricades at Istanbul University and went to Bayezid Square. Hundreds of city government employees also gathered in front of the government building. At the same time, the entire Turkish political circle is divided into two. While supporters and party members who already see Imamoglu as the next president describe this situation as a "coup" against him, those around Erdogan and representatives of the ruling party insist that the current president has nothing to do with this. The Istanbul mayor, who is suspected of corruption and several other crimes, even managed to make a statement on social media after his arrest. He said that he was "resolute" and "trusted the city's people and all of Turkey." According to the police, Imamoglu will remain in custody for at least four days. In the meantime, restrictions on demonstrations in Istanbul have failed to ease the situation.

Why is Imamoglu in custody?

After Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested in the first part of the day yesterday, the second part of the day in Istanbul was quite controversial. Such events surrounding the Istanbul mayor were, as expected, directly attributed to President Erdogan. After that, Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc issued his own statement on the matter. According to him, arrest warrants were issued for 106 suspects, including the Istanbul mayor, as part of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. It is reported that the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office is conducting two investigations into this matter. One is terrorism, and the other is organized crime. As part of the investigation conducted by the Terrorism Crimes Investigation Bureau, seven people have been placed under arrest. In this investigation, it is alleged that the suspects committed the crime of aiding a terrorist organization. This terrorist organization is the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has posed a threat to Turkey for many years. The Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau is also conducting investigations. As part of this investigation, 100 suspects have been placed under arrest. They are said to have committed crimes such as bribery, extortion, collusion in auctions, fraud, and illegal possession of personal information as part of a criminal organization. Thus, a total of 106 suspects have been placed under arrest as a precautionary measure in both investigations. According to the statement from the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office, the investigation materials include reports from the Financial Crimes Investigation Department, tax expert opinions, deposit reports, witness statements, and other evidence. Well, seven people were arrested for terrorism and 100 for organized crime. However, the total number of suspects is not 107, but 106. There is no reason to be surprised because the Istanbul governor is suspected in both of the above-mentioned investigations, that is, for terrorism and organized crime. He is the only one among the 106 people in this regard.

Erdogan's name is being protected

Minister of Justice Yilmaz Tunç called on Turkish citizens not to misinterpret the situation. He stressed that it is wrong to judge the investigation against Imamoglu and hundreds of others without knowing the content of the case, the charges, and the evidence. The Minister of Justice said that it is extremely dangerous and wrong to characterize the investigations conducted by an impartial and independent court with phrases such as a coup d'état and to draw attention to them. At the same time, the Minister said that in a legal state, if there is a claim that a crime has been committed, the defense should not be on the streets, but in the courts. Yılmaz Tunç called on those who are mixing Erdogan's name in the ongoing cases to be careful. He called linking the investigation of Imamoglu to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "to put it mildly, overstepping the bounds, not knowing the limits." Fahrettin Altun, Head of the Communications Directorate of the Turkish President's Office, claimed on his page on the X social network that slander and libel are being spread against the head of state following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Altun stressed that such actions are mainly being carried out by opposition party leaders for political and ideological reasons to undermine the integrity of the investigation. Erdogan himself gave a slightly different explanation for these events. He said, in the face of protests and opposition to Imamoglu's arrest, "it is useless to say anything to those who confuse those who oppose the government with those who oppose the country." A day later, Erdogan made another statement on the opposition. He said that the opposition will never be able to answer to the judiciary in the diploma and corruption cases. He also added that "if they say that there is no lawlessness in our municipalities, we will talk, we will discuss, but they cannot say that," the Turkish President added.

Western reaction

Following the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, European Union and US officials expressed their reactions. In the US, it became clear that Trump was at the top of the power today. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said that the United States does not comment on the internal decisions of other countries. However, despite this, she called on Turkey to respect human rights. European officials remained true to their rhetoric. They reminded Turkey that it is a candidate country for membership in the Union, which has been waiting for several decades to join the EU but has not been allowed to do so. A number of continental officials also criticized Turkey on this issue. In particular, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock strongly condemned the arrest of Imamoglu and many other Turkish opposition figures, calling this situation “a serious blow to Turkish democracy.” She noted that the space for opposition politicians in Turkey is increasingly narrowing.

France also criticized the events in Turkey. The country's government expressed its deep concern over the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu and his supporters. In a statement to reporters, French Foreign Ministry official Christophe Lemoine stressed that the Turkish government's actions could have serious consequences for Turkish democracy. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also called the incident "another step by the Erdogan regime in its crackdown on opposition mayors." Even a Greek official, one of Turkey's biggest external problems, expressed solidarity with Imamoglu. Athens Mayor Haris Doukas wrote on his social media page: "My friend Ekrem, we are with you." In a joint statement issued by the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaya Kallas, and the EU's Commissioner for Enlargement Negotiations, Marta Cos, it was stated that the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and the increased crackdown on public officials, activists, civil society representatives, businesspeople, and journalists since the beginning of 2025 raised questions about Turkey's commitment to its long-standing democratic traditions. The EU called on Ankara to uphold the rule of law.

Opposition steps

The opposition Republican People's Party's first steps following İmamoğlu's arrest were to visit the Istanbul mayor's house. Shortly after İmamoğlu's arrest, CHP leader Özgür Özel visited his home and met with his family. This was followed by online support for İmamoğlu from politicians affiliated with the opposition party. On the night of March 19, Ekrem's wife, Dilek İmamoğlu, addressed a crowd of 10,000 in Saraçhane, saying that the arrest of her husband, Ekrem İmamoğlu, meant that the will of 16 million Istanbul residents had been arrested. She called for unity and for the movement not to stop. Party leader Özgür Özel called on all Turkish citizens to demonstrate against the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 23, the day of the CHP's primaries for the 2028 presidential election. She called on everyone to support İmamoğlu as the next president of Turkey. The protests also reached their peak in parliament. On March 20, members of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) gathered on the podium to protest the arrest of their fellow party member, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, and blocked the work of the parliament's General Assembly. As a result, the General Assembly session was postponed.

Meanwhile, Istanbul authorities banned public events in the city until March 23, but after the CHP leader called on his supporters to protest the arrest of the Istanbul mayor, the restrictions were forgotten. Thousands of participants in the rally chanted slogans of solidarity with Imamoglu and demanded the resignation of the government and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The situation is becoming increasingly tense. The demonstrations against the arrest of the Istanbul mayor were not limited to Istanbul. The mood of discontent has moved to the capital. On the night of March 20 and March 21, a march was also held in Adana. Against this backdrop of tensions, the Consulate General of Uzbekistan in Istanbul issued a warning to Uzbek citizens. It noted that Turkish law enforcement agencies had identified 261 people who posted provocative posts on social networks and had arrested 37. Therefore, the consulate called for extreme caution when expressing any news or opinions on social networks. It was emphasized that the following should be observed to ensure safety: stay away from any protests, rallies, and mass gatherings; avoid crowded places and plan your travel route in advance; be cautious on social media, do not post or distribute provocative messages; pay attention to official reports and follow the latest news on the situation; in case of emergency, contact the Consulate General.