Jailed Istanbul Mayor Named Opposition Candidate; Protests Ongoing

By Staff, Agencies

Vast crowds of students flooded Istanbul’s streets on Monday in the latest wave of protests against the arrest and imprisonment of the city’s opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu. His detention on March 19 has triggered Turkiye’s most intense unrest in years, spreading to at least 55 of the country’s 81 provinces and leading to clashes with riot police, as well as international condemnation.

Authorities have detained over 1,130 people in the past six days, including 43 on Monday night, according to the interior minister. 

Also among those arrested were journalists, including a photographer from AFP.

Imamoglu, 53, a key figure in the opposition CHP party, is widely regarded as the only politician capable of defeating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an election.

On Monday, the CHP, the second-largest party in parliament, officially nominated him as their candidate for the 2028 presidential race despite his imprisonment.

On Monday, students in both Istanbul and Ankara announced they would boycott lectures at major universities, gathering in the streets in protest.

In Istanbul, chanting and flag-waving students marched toward Besiktas, a port on the Bosphorus, as residents expressed solidarity by applauding and banging saucepans, AFP reported.

After rallying at the port, protesters moved along the coastline toward the historic peninsula to join the nightly demonstration outside City Hall.

CHP leader Özgür Özel addressed the massive crowd, declaring, “This is not a gathering; this is resistance against fascism!”

Protesters held banners, including one directed at Erdogan that read, “Your palaces, our streets.”

Özel also called for a boycott of pro-government TV channels that refused to cover the protests, as well as businesses with government ties, such as a well-known café chain.