An unexpected surge of unrest has arisen in Turkey after Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested for corruption. Ekrem was announced as the opposing presidential candidate against the current president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. On the same day as this announcement, Ekrem was charged and placed in a high-level prison, which led many to speculate that his arrest was purely for political reasons.
This was a tremendous blow to many citizens of Turkey, which led to large-scale protests that the country had not dealt with in a long time. There were many reports of injuries and violence from the protesters and police officers. Riot control teams implemented physical deterrents against the protests, like tear gas and pressurized water hoses. As it stands, over a thousand people have been taken into custody, including journalists who were trying to document the events.
The president and administration have upheld their stance that these protests were violent and the Republican People’s Party is at fault for inciting the chaos. Their attempts to keep the protests from getting out have extended to social media, with Turkish officials requesting X (Twitter) to block hundreds of accounts that have taken to talk back against the current president’s actions. Regardless of the legitimacy of Ekrem’s charges, this does not paint a good picture for Erdoğan, who is now receiving backlash from the opposition. There is no telling how the public will respond to these actions, but we can hope that some of these arrests are overturned, and clarity is provided for Ekrem’s charges.
