ISTANBUL, March 24: Turkish authorities detained several journalists from their homes, a media workers’ union reported on Monday, in what it said was a crackdown amid escalating protests triggered by the imprisonment of the mayor of Istanbul and top rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
On Sunday, a court formally arrested Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and ordered him jailed pending a trial on corruption charges. His detention on Wednesday sparked the largest wave of street demonstrations in Turkiye in more than a decade, deepening concerns over democracy and the rule of law.
In an apparent escalation of the government’s response to the growing protests, the Disk-Basin-Is union said at least eight reporters and photojournalists were detained in what it said was an “attack on press freedoms and the people’s right to learn the truth”.
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“You cannot hide the truth by silencing journalists!” the union wrote on the social media platform X, calling for their immediate release.
A total of 1,133 people have been detained since March 19, when the mayor was arrested at his home, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. As many as 123 police officers were injured in the protests, he said adding that dangerous materials such as acid, firebombs and knives were seized.
“Some circles have been exploiting the right to assemble and demonstrate, attempting to disrupt public order, incite street unrest, and attack our police,” Yerlikaya said on his social media account.
The minister said some of the detained were identified as having ties to groups listed as terrorist organisations. Others had previous criminal records, Yerlikaya said, urging the public to avoid falling for “provocations.”
The mayor’s imprisonment is widely regarded as a political move to remove a major challenger to Erdogan from the next presidential race, currently scheduled for 2028. Government officials strongly reject the accusations and insist that Turkiye’s courts operate independently.
Imamoglu was jailed on suspicion of running a criminal organisation, accepting bribes, extortion, illegally recording personal data and bid-rigging — accusations he has denied. A request for him to be imprisoned on terror-related charges was rejected although he still faces prosecution.
The Interior Ministry later announced that Imamoglu had been suspended from duty as a “temporary measure”. The municipality had previously appointed an acting mayor from its governing council.
The politician was taken to Silivri prison, west of Istanbul, as more than 1.7 million members of his opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, held a primary election, endorsing him as its presidential candidate. Millions of non-members also cast votes in a “solidarity ballot”, the party said.
Alongside Imamoglu, 47 other people were also jailed pending trial, including a key aide and two district mayors from Istanbul, one of whom was replaced with a government appointee. A further 44 suspects were released under judicial control.
Imamoglu was elected mayor of Turkiye’s largest city in March 2019, in a major blow to Erdogan and the president’s Justice and Development Party, which had controlled Istanbul for a quarter-century. Erdogan’s party pushed to void the municipal election results in the city of 16 million, alleging irregularities.
The challenge resulted in a repeat of the election a few months later, which Imamoglu also won.
The mayor retained his seat following local elections last year, during which the CHP made significant gains against Erdogan’s governing party. (AP)
