Hundreds detained in Turkey as crackdown fails to deter protestors
1. Turkish interior minister warns there would be "no concessions" for those who "terrorise the streets"
Mass Protests Erupt in Turkey Following Opposition Leader’s Arrest
Nearly 1,500 people, including an AFP photographer, have been detained as tens of thousands continued protests in Turkey’s capital on Tuesday, following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu—widely seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival.
The protests, the largest Turkey has seen in over a decade, began last week after Imamoglu was jailed on corruption charges—a move opposition supporters decry as a blatant attack on democracy.
Crackdown on Protesters and Journalists
Authorities have responded with a sweeping crackdown, drawing concern from human rights organizations. On Tuesday, an Istanbul court remanded seven journalists in custody for covering the protests, including AFP photographer Yasin Akgul.
AFP’s CEO, Fabrice Fries, condemned Akgul’s arrest, stating, “His imprisonment is unacceptable,” and urged Turkish authorities to release him immediately. Despite charges of “participating in illegal rallies,” AFP insists Akgul was merely reporting on the demonstrations.
Media freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called the arrests “scandalous” and a sign of Turkey’s deepening press restrictions.
Government Response: ‘No Concessions’
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that 1,418 people had been detained for participating in “illegal demonstrations” and warned that the government would make “no concessions” for those “terrorizing the streets.”
Despite a protest ban, large crowds have continued to gather daily since Imamoglu’s arrest on March 19, with unrest spreading nationwide and leading to violent clashes with security forces.
President Erdogan, facing the most significant protests since the 2013 Gezi Park uprising, remains defiant. “Those who spread terror in the streets and want to set fire to this country have nowhere to go,” he declared, dismissing the protests as “street terror.”
Widespread Unrest and Opposition Rally Plans
On Tuesday, thousands of students marched through Istanbul’s Sisli district, chanting “government, resign” as riot police stood by. In a show of solidarity, residents banged pots and pans from apartment windows.
Separately, Imamoglu’s Republican People's Party (CHP) organized protests in Sarachane for the seventh consecutive night. CHP leader Ozgur Ozel has called for a mass rally in Istanbul on Saturday, vowing it will be the “largest open-air referendum in history” and a push for early elections. “We have had enough and we want early elections,” he told demonstrators.
International Reactions and Human Rights Concerns
The crackdown has drawn international criticism. The Council of Europe condemned the “disproportionate” use of force, while Human Rights Watch called the situation a “dark time for democracy.” The UN also voiced concern over the “mass detentions and blanket ban on protests.”
In Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed “concerns” in a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Despite the arrests, Ozel told demonstrators, “We do not decrease in numbers with arrests—there will be even more of us.” He added that Istanbul’s prisons were already overflowing with detainees from the ongoing protests.
As tensions rise, Turkey faces an escalating political crisis, with the opposition pushing for early elections and Erdogan showing no signs of backing down.
