Night becomes "day" in Turkey! Thousands of protesters occupy the squares in support of Imamoglu

Despite the arrests and police brutality in central Istanbul, thousands of citizens took to the streets on Wednesday evening to protest in support of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was arrested in the morning along with over 100 other people.

Thousands of people gathered outside the city hall to hear the speech of CHP leader Özgür Özel. Özel said in his intervention that the decision to arrest the mayor “ was a coup d’état .”

He attributed the latest move that has shocked Turkey to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying he did so because of a personal disagreement with Imamoglu, after he lost control of Istanbul because of him and the president's image "faded."

As Özel explained, Erdogan could lose to Imamoğlu and Turkey itself, so he played the coup "card."

Imamoglu's wife, Dilek, also spoke to the protesters, saying that it was not the mayor who was arrested, but the will of 16 million citizens, while praising the social work carried out by the mayor, including social canteens and free transportation for vulnerable categories of citizens in Istanbul.

Demonstrations also took place in other cities in Turkey, such as Ankara, Izmir and Trabzon. Thousands of citizens took to the streets, banging pots and pans, creating a ruckus.

The governor of Istanbul had ordered the closure of many main roads, metro stations and streets in the city, as well as major transportation hubs, while imposing a four-day ban on demonstrations.

The apparent goal is to prevent demonstrations in favor of the mayor or at least visibly hinder them.

Meanwhile, the government has also taken legal action. Activists say that since Wednesday morning, access to major social media platforms such as X, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok has been restricted.

We recall that Imamoglu's arrest comes a year after his victory in the municipal elections in which he was re-elected with 51.14% of the vote as mayor of Istanbul.

He was accused of terrorism, which led to his detention, at which point the Minister of Interior removed him from office and replaced him with an official appointed by the government until the completion of legal proceedings.

On Tuesday, Istanbul University revoked Imamoglu's degree, which calls into question whether Imamoglu's chance to run for president is completely removed.

The elections will be held in 2028, but it is possible that Tayyip Erdogan will call them later.

Imamoglu is the likely presidential candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). The nomination is expected to be announced in April, but polls see him as Erdogan's most serious opponent. (A2 Televizion)