Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Istanbul on March 29 to protest against the jailing of the city’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main rival, as Turkey grapples with its largest demonstrations in more than a decade.
Large crowds waving Turkish flags and banners poured into the sea-front rally in the Maltepe district of the country’s largest city to attend a "Freedom For Imamoglu" rally organized by the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the country's main opposition group.
"If justice is silent, the people will speak," one banner held aloft in the crowd read.
Speaking at the event, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said millions of Turks were seeking Imamoglu's release and an early presidential election. He called the charges against the mayor baseless and politically motivated.
The government denies any influence over the judiciary and says the courts are independent.
Leading Erdogan in some opinions polls and regarded by many as the only Turkish politician capable of defeating him at the ballot box, Imamoglu was chosen on March 19 as the CHP’s candidate for Turkey’s next scheduled presidential election in 2028.
He was jailed the same day, a move that sparked the current unrest.
"The trend of the economy, the trend of justice, law -- everything is getting worse,” one CHP supporter who declined to give their name told the AFP news agency at the March 29 rally in Istanbul. “That is why we are here. We say 'rights, law, and justice,' and we are seeking our rights."
Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for more than two decades, has dismissed the protests as a "show" and called on the CHP to stop "provoking" Turks while warning that there will be legal consequences.
The nationwide demonstrations have been mostly peaceful, but nearly 2,000 people have been detained and hundreds have also been jailed pending trial.
Turkish financial assets have plunged amid the upheaval, prompting the central bank to use reserves to support the country's currency, the lira. The turmoil has also sent shockwaves through the private sector.
Several European countries have voiced concern over the developments in Turkey, saying they could be detrimental to the country’s democracy.
“The arrest of the mayor is deeply concerning,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels. “Turkey must uphold the democratic values, especially the rights of elected officials.”
The ongoing antigovernment protests are the largest since 2013, when demonstrations initially against plans to redevelop Gezi Park in Istanbul transformed into widespread protests.
Those protests triggered a harsh crackdown by authorities in which rights watchdogs say 11 people were killed and more than 8,000 injured.
