Mass protests erupt in Turkey over Istanbul Mayor’s arrest
Istanbul: Massive protests have erupted across Turkey following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on corruption charges, widely seen as politically motivated. Demonstrators in Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir, and other cities have taken to the streets for six consecutive nights, demanding his release and condemning what they call democratic backsliding under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s rule.
Authorities have responded with force, deploying water cannons, tear gas, and plastic bullets, while some protesters have thrown stones and fireworks at police. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that 1,133 demonstrators were detained between Wednesday and Sunday, with 43 arrested for allegedly insulting Erdoğan and his family.
Amid the unrest, opposition leader Özgür Özel of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) visited İmamoğlu at Silivri Prison on Tuesday. He has called for a final rally outside Istanbul’s City Hall and announced that the party will appoint a municipal council member as acting mayor to prevent a government-appointed replacement.
Meanwhile, Turkish authorities have cracked down on journalists covering the protests, detaining eight reporters for allegedly violating laws on demonstrations. Media unions have condemned the arrests as an attack on press freedom.
İmamoğlu, a key opposition figure and potential challenger to Erdoğan, was arrested on March 19 on charges of running a criminal organization, bribery, extortion, and bid-rigging, all of which he denies. His suspension from office has fueled speculation that Erdoğan may call an early election before 2028 to extend his rule.
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Mamata calls for unity, slams BJP's 'divisive politics' at Eid prayers
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged people not to fall into provocations that could fuel communal riots and stressed that her government would stand with the residents, ensuring that no one could stir tensions in the state.
Addressing an Eid prayers programme on Red Road here, the Trinamool Congress supremo claimed, "Provocations are being made to fuel riots, but please don't fall into these traps. The West Bengal government stands with the minorities. No one can provoke tensions in the state."
Banerjee also hit out at the BJP, asking, "If they (BJP) have problems with the minorities, will they change the Constitution of the country?"
She reaffirmed her belief in respecting all religions and reiterated her opposition to the BJP's "divisive politics", which she described as "jumla politics" aimed at dividing people.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also spoke on the occasion, highlighting the unity in the party in resisting the BJP during the last Lok Sabha elections.
"In the last (2024) Lok Sabha polls, we together resisted the march of the BJP," he asserted.
"The BJP says 'Hindus are in danger', and their friends say 'Muslims are in danger'. I would ask them to remove their lens of communal politics. The truth is that the entire country is in danger because of their politics. If they try to create divisions in West Bengal, we will resist it," he added.
Both leaders emphasised that the Trinamool Congress would continue to fight against attempts to sow division and promote communal politics in the state.
