Anti-government protests are escalating again in Turkey in response to the arrest of a strong opposition presidential candidate.
According to Turkish media on the 2nd (local time), a protest was held the previous night in front of Istanbul City Hall's Saraçhane Square to mark the 100th day of the detention of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). Authorities arrested 42 people as the protests unfolded.
Protest participants marched while throwing water bottles and other items. They refused the police's dispersal orders and clashed with law enforcement using tear gas spray. Some journalists were also reportedly arrested by the police.
It was reported by Turkish media Sabah that some protesters at the scene, wearing masks, shouted threatening slogans such as, "We will execute one by one those who want 'Sharia' in the name of Islam at Saraçhane." This appears to target President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who promotes Islamism.
Özgür Özel, the CHP representative leading the rally, stated in a declaration that the mayor's arrest was a 'coup' and criticized by saying, 'Erdoğan is no longer a president but a military leader.'
Turkish police arrested Mayor İmamoğlu on March 19 on charges of corruption and terrorism. A court issued a detention warrant on the 23rd of the same month, and the Turkish Ministry of Interior suspended İmamoğlu's duties.
At that time, the CHP nominated the imprisoned İmamoğlu as a presidential candidate. Subsequently, the CHP and İmamoğlu encouraged anti-government protests, leading to a period of political instability. As a result, there was also a temporary collapse in the value of the Turkish lira.