Massive Turkish Protests Defend Democracy Amidst Authoritarian Crackdown
On March 29th, hundreds of thousands protested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s arrest, marking Turkey’s largest demonstrations in over a decade. The CHP-organized rally, held on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, follows a government crackdown including arrests of over 2,000 protesters and 13 journalists, as well as the deportation of a BBC correspondent and the jailing of a Swedish reporter. Imamoglu, the CHP’s 2028 presidential candidate, was jailed amidst accusations of corruption. Opposition leader Özgür Özel vowed to continue weekly protests nationwide.
John Q. Hosedrinker