The leader of Turkey's largest opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Özgür Özel, announced that 300,000 people attended last night's rally in Istanbul in support of the city's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
"According to the information we have, despite all the obstacles and barriers, we, 300,000 people, are here today. I call on law enforcement, city authorities not to use tear gas. No one should get hurt,“ he said during the rally. At the same time, law enforcement used water cannons to disperse the crowds, footage of the protest was published by Anka Haber Ajansı, on the social network X.
A day earlier, demonstrations in support of İmamoğlu were held in Ankara and Istanbul. Özgür Özel also called on the authorities not to use tear gas. Some media claimed that the police used rubber bullets, an administration of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan denied this. According to the Ministry of Interior, 16 police officers were injured during the protests.
Imamoglu was detained on March 19 on corruption and bribery charges. At the same time, the politician said that he did not intend to surrender under pressure from the authorities.
At the same time, Istanbul University decided to cancel Imamoglu's diploma. The Chief Prosecutor's Office, which sent the request, suspected possible violations in the transfer of Imamoglu to Istanbul from the University of Northern Cyprus, since at that time Turkey did not officially recognize the educational institution on the island.
Ankara'da İmamoğlu protestosuna CHP Genel Merkezi önünde TOMA'lı müdahale - Ankara #Canlı https://t.co/Xhf0ySKice
— ANKA Haber Ajansı (@ankahabera) March 21, 2025