Reuters
Riot police clash with protesters in Istanbul on Saturday night
The fourth protest in Turkey has been raging after the mayor of Istanbul was arrested. This is some of the biggest demonstrations the country has seen over a decade.
Ekrem Imamogul, a rival to Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan, was taken into custody on Wednesday, when he was scheduled to be selected as the 2028 presidential candidate.
Imamoguru appeared at Istanbul Court on Saturday after being accused of corruption and support from terrorist groups. He denied the allegation.
In a speech on Saturday, Erdogan repeatedly denounced his opposition of anxiety, denounced the Imamogul opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), of “disturbing peace and polarizing our people.”
Outside the mayor’s office in Istanbul, tear gas was hanging in the air before the protest began properly.
As the crowd grew throughout the evening, breathing became difficult as the round was fired after the round was fired to disband demonstrators.
People of all ages opposed to the government ban on assembly, chanting “rights, laws, justice” in order to protest what they consider illegal detention.
The young woman wearing a black face mask told the BBC she had not protested to defend democracy instead, not for political reasons or support for the opposition.
“I’m here for justice, I’m here for freedom. We are free people and Turks can’t accept this. This is against our actions and culture.”
Another woman who took her 11-year-old son to protest said she wanted to take him with her as she was worried about his future.
“It’s becoming more difficult to live in Turkey every day. We have no control over our lives. We can’t choose who wants, and there’s no real justice here.”
It’s very much said that no one has spoken about the BBC who finds it comfortable to name or show their faces.
Many people were arrested on the streets on Saturday night, telling the BBC they are fighting for a future they can believe in.
In Ankara and Izmir, police deployed water cannons against protesters.
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Over the past four nights, thousands have taken us mostly to the streets of Turkey in peaceful demonstrations.
Authorities have sought to curb street demonstrations by banning all rallies in Istanbul for four days. Istanbul was expanded to Ankara and Izmir as protests spread across the country.
Riot police have been in repeated clashes with protesters since Thursday, and could be seen firing pepper gas and water cannons at the crowd.
Turkish authorities said 343 people were arrested on Friday night, the third day of protests across the country.
Imamogul is considered one of Erdogan’s most terrifying political rivals. He is the only person running in the CHP presidential candidate selection scheduled for Sunday.
But on Wednesday he was one of more than 100 people, including other politicians, journalists and businessmen who were detained as part of the investigation.
One day before its arrest, Istanbul University announced that it would revoke Imamoguru’s degree due to alleged misconduct.
According to the Turkish constitution, the president must have completed his higher education to carry out his office.
Erdogan has been in office for the past 22 years as both the prime minister and president of Turkish. However, due to time limits, he will not be able to re-inaust in 2028 unless he changes the constitution.
Opposition figures say the arrests are politically motivated. However, the Ministry of Justice has criticized those who have linked Erdogan to arrest and advocated for independence in the judiciary.
