Thousands of protesters poured out onto the streets of Istanbul on March 19, 2025, after Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, one of Turkey's leading opposition figures and chief opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested.
Imamoglu was taken into custody on charges of corruption and ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a group that Turkey considers a terrorist group.
His arrest has provoked outrage, with opponents calling it a politically motivated attack designed to suppress opposition before coming elections.
Even after a government-declared four-day ban on public demonstrations and road closures, activists protested near City Hall, police headquarters, and the headquarters of Imamoglu's Republican People's Party (CHP).
The arrest was labeled unlawful by protesters and as an attack on democracy, and protesters described it as an outright move to discredit the opposition parties in coming elections. Riot police cordoned off a number of areas, but skirmishes broke out when protesters resisted restrictions.
Imamoglu, the prospective CHP presidential candidate, promised to continue fighting for justice.
His arrest has added to the worries of Turkey moving toward authoritarianism, as social media has been restricted during demonstrations.
As tensions escalate, more protests are likely in the coming days as people call for accountability and democratic reform.
