SAO PAULO, SP (Folhapress) – Protesters went to the streets of Istanbul again on Saturday (29) to ask for the release of Ekrem Imamoglu, mayor of the city and the main rival of Turkey President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The acts took place on the Asian side of the city and, according to the leader of the Republican Popular Party (CHP, in the acronym in Turkish), Ozgur Ozel, gather 2.2 million people.
The demonstration began at noon local time (6am from Brasilia), but ferry chartered by the country, the country’s main opposition acronym, to cross Bosphorus’ Strait (a point that connects the black and Mediterranean seas) brought participants early on. There are reports that, compared to previous protests, there were fewer young people this time.
Through a message read by Ozel, the mayor devoted part of his speech to this audience. “If young people are on the front, it’s because they are more distressed by their future. They are the ones who feel most intensely that life escapes them. It’s not about Ekrem Imamoglu, but our country, justice, democracy, freedom, law, law.”
The wife, mother and the two sons of Imamoglu also participated in the act. The mayor has been arrested since March 19, accused of corruption and helping a group considered a terrorist by the government. He was also removed from office by the Interior Ministry of Türkiye and his diploma canceled by the University of Istanbul.
The politician would be a presidential candidate for the CHP in the elections scheduled for 2028, so that his arrest caused a wave of daily protests.
Forbidden by the authorities, the demonstrations have not occurred later in front of Istanbul City Hall since last Monday (24). In an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde, Orzel stated that concentrations will always take place on Saturdays in different Turkish cities, and on Wednesdays in Istanbul.
“[Estou pronto para] Risk the risk of spending eight, ten years in prison, if necessary, because if we do not repel this coup attempt, the ballot boxes will end, ”said the leader.
Protesters, journalists and lawyers were arrested for repression of protests -some cases at dawn while they were in their homes. According to the latest official data published on Thursday (27), more than 2,000 people were arrested and, of these, 260 were sent to prisons.
At least 12 Turkish journalists were arrested in a week. Most were released, but are still accused of participating in banned demonstrations that covered for their vehicles, including photographer Yasin Akgul of AFP. On Thursday (27), BBC correspondent Mark Lowen was deported after being arrested for covering the protests.
Imamoglu’s lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, was also arrested on Friday (28) under “forged motifs,” according to the mayor, who did not detail the nature of the accusations. Pehlivan was released the same day.
The demonstration called by the Republican Popular Party coincides with the beginning of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the sacred month of Ramadan on Sunday (30), when many people leave the city.
