More than 1,000 arrested in Turkey in protests against Istanbul mayor's arrest

Turkish police have detained more than 1,100 people, including journalists and lawyers, since the start of mass protests sparked by the arrest of Istanbul’s popular mayor and main rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The demonstrations began in Istanbul following the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu on Wednesday and have since spread to more than 55 of Turkey's 81 provinces, making them the largest protests in over a decade.

The popular 53-year-old mayor was widely regarded as the only politician capable of defeating Erdoğan at the ballot box, challenging his more than two decades in power.

In just four days, he went from being the mayor of Istanbul—a position that once launched Erdoğan's political career—to being arrested, questioned, jailed, and removed from office following a corruption investigation.

Imamoglu, who was officially removed from office on Sunday, spent his first night in jail in Silivri, on the outskirts of Istanbul.

Elected as presidential candidate for 2028

Despite his detention, İmamoğlu was overwhelmingly elected on Sunday as the CHP's candidate for the 2028 presidential elections, securing 15 million votes.

According to analysts, İmamoğlu’s arrest was triggered by the upcoming primaries, as he is Erdoğan’s main political rival. Erdoğan has dominated Turkish politics since 2003, first as prime minister and later as president.

Police have detained more than 1,133 people for "illegal activities" since the start of the protests, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.

Social networks canceled

Ten Turkish journalists, including an AFP photographer, were arrested Monday at their homes in Istanbul and Izmir, the country’s third-largest city, for "covering the protests," according to the Turkish human rights advocacy group MLSA.

"What is being done to members of the press and journalists is a matter of freedom. None of us can remain silent in the face of this," Imamoglu’s wife, Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, posted on X.

In response to the massive protests, Turkish authorities also attempted to shut down more than 700 accounts on X, the platform reported on Sunday.

"We oppose multiple court orders by the Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority to block more than 700 accounts of news organizations, journalists, political figures, students, and others within Turkey," the social network said in a statement.

"We want Turkey to remain linked to Europe"

The European Union (EU) also urged Turkey on Monday to respect democratic values following the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul and a dozen journalists, including an AFP photographer.

"We want Turkey to remain linked to Europe but this requires a firm commitment to democratic standards," said a European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier.

Opposition figure Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested on March 19. According to the Commission spokesman, the arrest of İmamoğlu and journalists "raises concerns about Türkiye's commitment to its long-standing democratic traditions."

As a country aspiring to EU membership, the spokesman added, "Turkey must uphold democratic values."

"The rights of elected officials and the right to peaceful demonstrations must be fully respected," he said.