Protests in Turkey after Erdogan rival jailed

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Emily Wither & Maia Davies
BBC News, in Istanbul and London

Tens of thousands of protesters have taken part in demonstrations across Turkey after the main rival to the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was formally arrested and charged with corruption.

Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul, was due to be selected as the Republican People's Party's (CHP) 2028 presidential nominee in a vote on Sunday.

In response to his arrest, Sunday night saw a ramping up of the worst unrest the country has seen in more than a decade - with protesters fired upon with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Imamoglu said the allegations against him are politically motivated. "I will never bow," he wrote on X before he was remanded in custody ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0egjvj8vdro

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1. Turkey detains journalists as protests grow over the jailing of key Erdogan rival

Updated 8:58 PM EDT, March 24, 2025

ISTANBUL (AP) — A media union said Turkish authorities arrested several journalists at their homes in a crackdown Monday, amid growing protests over the jailing of Istanbul’s mayor, a top rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A court on Sunday formally arrested Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and ordered him jailed pending a trial on corruption charges. His detention on Wednesday sparked the largest wave of street demonstrations in Turkey in more than a decade, deepening concerns over democracy and the rule of law.

The Disk-Basin-Is media workers’ union said at least eight reporters and photojournalists were detained in what it called an “attack on press freedoms and the people’s right to learn the truth.” It called for their immediate release ...

https://apnews.com/article/turkey-istanbul-mayor-protest-journalists-detained-erdogan-f6e803ab00ce86097aba78b3a94ef061

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2. Authorities ask X to block accounts as tens of thousands take to streets

Ruth Michaelson in Istanbul
Mon 24 Mar 2025 13.04 EDT

Turkish authorities have arrested more than 1,100 people including journalists, while bombarding the social media platform X with requests to block hundreds of accounts after tens of thousands took to the streets in the largest anti-government protests in years.

One journalist was detained while covering demonstrations that took place outside Istanbul city hall, while nine others were detained in dawn raids ...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/24/journalists-among-more-than-1100-arrested-in-turkey-crackdown-istanbul

[SunSeeker]

7. And "Free Speech Absolutist" Musk immediately complied, blocking at least 110 key protester accounts on X.

From the Guardian article you cite:

Altıntaş said that despite claims by the X boss, Elon Musk, that free speech was defended on the platform, it was clear X was allowing at least 110 accounts to be blocked in Turkey, according to her records. These included journalists covering the protests, as well as feminist organisations and student groups, she added.

“There is a clear attempt to censor images and videos of the protests, and this is obviously a part of that,” she said.

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3. Turkish, US foreign ministers meet in Washington

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his American counterpart, Marco Rubio, met Tuesday for talks at the State Department in Washington.

Fidan and Rubio posed for the media at the agency.

It marks Fidan's first visit under President Donald Trump's administration and will focus on strengthening Türkiye-U.S. relations, as well as preparing for future high-level visits between the two nations ...

https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/turkish-us-foreign-ministers-meet-in-washington-for-talks/news

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4. EU warns Turkey as Erdoğan's repression intensifies

March 24, 2025 3:24 pm CET
By Ketrin Jochecová

The European Commission on Monday urged Ankara to “uphold democratic values,” as Turkish authorities escalate a crackdown against the opposition and free media.

Popular opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested Sunday on corruption charges and booted out of his office as Istanbul mayor. Protests have now roiled Turkey for nearly a week, since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s police first detained İmamoğlu, and authorities have locked up more than a thousand demonstrators and detained journalists.

“The arrest of the mayor İmamoğlu and the protesters give rise to the questions regarding Turkey’s adherence to its long-established democratic traditions,” said Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier ...

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-urges-turkey-to-uphold-democratic-values/

[OnDoutside]

6. Easy to see why Turkey's application to join the EU has stalled for decades.

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5. .