{{Infobox civil conflict , title = 2025 Turkish protests , partof =

Third wave of autocratization In political science, the waves of democracy or waves of democratization are major surges of democracy that have occurred in history. Although the term appears at least as early as 1887, it was popularized by Samuel P. Huntington, a political s ...

,
democratic backsliding in Turkey , image = File:Saraçhane’de direniş.jpg , image_alt = , image_size = 340px , caption = Protestors in Saraçhane, Istanbul, 21 March 2025 , date = 19 March 2025 - present (3 months, 0 weeks , 3 days) , place = {{ubl,

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the Geography of Cyprus, island of Cyprus. It is List of states with limited recognition, recognis ...

Turkish diaspora The Turkish diaspora ( or ''Türk gurbetçiler'') refers to ethnic Turkish people who have migrated from, or are the descendants of migrants from, the Republic of Turkey, Northern Cyprus or other modern nation-states that were once part of the f ...

, mainly in

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...

, causes = *

Arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu On 19 March 2025, Mayor of Istanbul, Istanbul mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu from the opposition Republican People's Party was Detention (confinement)#Turkey, detained by General Directorate of Security (Turkey), Turkish police ...

and detention of 100 other opposition figures against

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician who is the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as the 25th prime minister of Turkey, prime minister from 2003 to 2014 as part of the Jus ...

's government *

Authoritarianism Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and ...

Political corruption Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials or their network contacts for illegitimate private gain. Forms of corruption vary but can include bribery, lobbying, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, parochialism, patronage, influen ...

* Economic issues **

Inflation In economics, inflation is an increase in the average price of goods and services in terms of money. This increase is measured using a price index, typically a consumer price index (CPI). When the general price level rises, each unit of curre ...

** Economic corruption *

Kleptocracy Kleptocracy (from Greek , "thief", or , "I steal", and from , "power, rule"), also referred to as thievocracy, is a government whose corrupt leaders (kleptocrats) use political power to expropriate the wealth of the people and land the ...

Democratic backsliding Democratic backsliding or autocratization is a process of regime change toward autocracy in which the exercise of political power becomes more arbitrary and repressive. The process typically restricts the space for public contest and politi ...

Erdoğanism Erdoğanism () refers to the political ideals and agenda of Turkish president and former prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who became prime minister in 2003 and served until his election to the Presidency in 2014. With support significantly ...

Corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

, goals = * Release of Ekrem İmamoğlu * Prevention of further persecution of the opposition and interruptions of democratic processes by the Erdoğan government * Free elections * Resignation of the

67th cabinet of Turkey The Fifth Erdoğan Cabinet is the 67th and current government of the Turkey, Republic of Turkey. It was declared on 3 June 2023. The cabinet was announced after the Third inauguration of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, inauguration of president Erdoğan. ...

, methods = * Demonstrations *

Protest marches A political demonstration is an action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause or people partaking in a protest against a cause of concern; it often consists of walking in a mass march formati ...

* Strikes *

Online activism Internet activism involves the use of electronic-communication technologies such as social media, e-mail, and podcasts for various forms of activism to enable faster and more effective communication by citizen social movement , movements, the deliv ...

Civil disobedience Civil disobedience is the active and professed refusal of a citizenship, citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders, or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be cal ...

Civil resistance Civil resistance is a form of political action that relies on the use of nonviolent resistance by ordinary people to challenge a particular power, force, policy or regime. Civil resistance operates through appeals to the adversary, pressure and co ...

Boycott A boycott is an act of nonviolent resistance, nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organisation, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for Morality, moral, society, social, politics, political, or Environmenta ...

Sit-ins A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. The protestors gather conspicuously in a space or building, refusing to ...

Fireworks Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...

Laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...

Torches A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end which can be used as a light source or to set something on fire. Torches have been used throughout history and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in jugglin ...

Cacerolazo In Spanish, a cacerolazo ( or ) or cacerolada (); also in Catalan a cassolada ( or ) is a form of popular protest which consists of a group of people making noise by banging pots, pans, and other utensils in order to call for attention. The fi ...

Graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...

, status = * Prohibition of all public gatherings and demonstrations in Istanbul for four days, followed by similar restrictions in Ankara and İzmir * Closure of major roads and rail networks in central Istanbul * Restriction of

social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...

platforms across Turkey, including X,

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

, and

TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

* Fines and restriction of broadcast against non-government affiliated media by

RTÜK Radio and Television Supreme Council (), also known in short as RTÜK, is the Turkey, Turkish state agency for monitoring, regulating, and sanctioning radio and television broadcasts. RTÜK was founded in 1994 and is composed of nine members ele ...

Ekrem İmamoğlu Ekrem İmamoğlu (born 4 June 1970) is a Turkish politician and businessman who has served as the 32nd Mayor of Istanbul since 2019. He is currently suspended from office temporarily. He is the Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate for the ...

was arrested and sent to

Marmara Prison Marmara Prison () or officially Marmara Penitentiaries Campus () formerly Silivri Prison is a high-security state correctional institution complex in the Silivri district of Istanbul Province in Turkey. Established in 2008, it is the country's ...

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

charges on 23 March 2025. * More than 230 of 301 students arrested from their homes with night operations for joining protests and sharing boycott stories on

are released and their trials will continue unarrested. * CHP

announced An announcement (ANN) is a Usenet, mailing list or e-mail message sent to notify subscribers that a software project has made a new release version. Newsgroup announcement recipients often have a name like "comp.''somegroup''.announce". Mailing li ...

Ekrem İmamoğlu as their presidential candidate despite his arrest. *

Municipal Council of Istanbul The Municipal Council of Istanbul () is the decision-making organ of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The council has decision making authority on most municipal matters with the exception of transport policy, which is handled by the Tra ...

elects

Nuri Aslan Nuri Aslan (born 1969) is a Turkish politician and businessman who serves as acting Mayor of Istanbul since 2025, following the suspension of Ekrem İmamoğlu. He is a member of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and has served as First Deputy ...

as acting mayor , result = , side1 = {{tree list * {{flagicon, Turkey Turkish opposition ** Opposition parties *** {{flagicon image, Flag of the Republican People's Party (Turkey).svg CHP *** {{flagicon image, Memleket Partisi Magnified Flag Icon.png Homeland Party *** {{flagicon image, Victory_Party_(turkey)_magnified_flag_icon.png ZP *** {{flagicon image, Flagoftip.svg TİP{{Cite web, url=https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/c62xekg686yo, title=Ekrem İmamoğlu gözaltına alındı, tepkiler ne oldu?, date=19 March 2025, website=BBC News Türkçe *** {{flagicon image, Flag_of_the_Good_Party.svg

Good Party The Good Party (Turkish language, Turkish: ''İYİ Parti'') is a Turkish nationalism, nationalist, Kemalism, Kemalist and Conservatism, conservative List of political parties in Turkey, political party in Turkey, established on 25 October 2017 b ...

*** {{flagicon image, Independent Turkey Party Logo.svg, border= BTP *** {{flagicon image, LDP Flag Icon.png LDP{{{Cite tweet , user=liberallerIST , number=1903129603578683451, title=ALANDAYIZ. *** {{flagicon image, TKP flag.pdf TKP *** {{flagicon image, Maoism Flag.svg HKP *** {{flagicon image, Demokrat Parti Magnified Flag Icon.png DP *** Key Party *** {{flagicon image, Emek Partisi Logo.svg, border= EMEP *** {{flagicon image, Solparti-bayrak.svg Left Party *** {{flagicon image, Toplumcu Kurtuluş Partisi Flag (Infobox).png 1920 TKP *** {{flagicon image, DEM PARTİ LOGOSU.png, border= DEM Party *** {{flagicon image, Emekcihareketpartisi.png, border= EHP *** {{flagicon image, New Path flag icon.svg

New Path The New Path (YY; ) is a Turkish political party that was founded by the Felicity Party (SP), Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) and the Future Party (GP) to create a joint parliamentary group. The party's chairman is Celal Mümtaz Akıncı, ...

**** {{flagicon image, Deva Partisi Magnified Flag Icon.png

DEVA Deva may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Deva, List of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition monsters, an ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition monster * Deva, in the 2023 Indian film ''Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefir ...

**** {{nobr, {{flagicon image, Saadet Partisi logo.svg, border=

Felicity Party The Felicity Party (, SAADET) is an Islamism, Islamist Turkey, Turkish political party. It was founded in 2001, and mainly supported by conservative Muslims in Turkey. It was founded on 20 July 2001 after the Virtue Party (Turkey), Virtue Party ...

{{Cite web , date=26 March 2025 , title=İmamoğlu'nun tutuklanması ve sokak olayları Yeni Yol Partisi'nin de gündeminde , url=https://t24.com.tr/haber/imamoglu-nun-tutuklanmasi-ve-sokak-olaylari-yeni-yol-partisi-nin-de-gundeminde,1228524 , access-date=26 March 2025 , website=T24 *** {{flagicon image, Genç Parti.svg

Young Party The Young Party (, GP) is a populist political party in Turkey. The chairperson of GENÇPARTİ is Burçin Şahindur. History 2002 elections Cem Uzan entered politics 90 days before the 2002 elections. Young Party was not eligible to enter t ...

** Parts of

** Civil society organizations *** TBB *** TTB *** Istanbul Bar Association ***

Trade union federation Organizers within trade unions have sought to increase the bargaining power of workers in regards to collective bargaining by acting in collaboration with other trade unions. Multi-union organizing can take place on an informal basis, or on a ...

s ****

DİSK The Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions of Turkey ( Turkish: ''Türkiye Devrimci İşçi Sendikaları Konfederasyonu'', DİSK) is one of the four major national trade union centres in Turkey. It was founded in 1967 as a breakaway union fr ...

****

KESK Kesk may refer to: Organisations * Confederation of Public Workers' Unions () * Finnish Centre Party () * Estonian Centre Party The Estonian Centre Party (, EK) is a populist political party in Estonia. It was founded in 1991 as a direct ...

** Students *** Protest committees *** Boycott committees *** High schools * Supported by: *

Party of European Socialists The Party of European Socialists (PES) is a Social democracy, social democratic European political party. The PES comprises national-level political parties from all the European Economic Area, European economic area states (EEA) plus the Unit ...

{{Cite web , date=7 April 2025 , title=Sosyalist Enternasyonal Onursal Başkanı Papandreou: Ekrem'le gurur duyuyoruz, Türk halkıyla gurur duyuyoruz, url=https://gazeteoksijen.com/turkiye/sosyalist-enternasyonal-onursal-baskani-papandreou-ekremle-gurur-duyuyoruz-turk-halkiyla-gurur-duyuyoruz-238982, website=Oksijen *

Socialist International The Socialist International (SI) is a political international or worldwide organisation of political parties which seek to establish democratic socialism, consisting mostly of Social democracy, social democratic political parties and Labour mov ...

{{tree list/end , side2 = {{tree list * {{flagicon, Turkey

Turkish government The Government of Turkey () is the national government of Turkey. It is governed as a unitary state under a presidential representative democracy and a constitutional republic within a pluriform multi-party system. The term government can me ...

** {{flagicon image, InteriorMinistryTR.png, border=

Ministry of Interior An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, th ...

*** {{flagicon image, Logo of General Directorate of Security (Turkey).svg, border= Turkish Police *** {{flagicon image, Flag of Turkish General Command of Gendarmerie.svg

Turkish Gendarmerie The Gendarmerie General Command () is the national gendarmerie force of the Republic of Turkey. It is a service branch of the Turkish Ministry of Interior responsible for the maintenance of the public order in areas that fall outside the jurisdi ...

*** {{flagicon image, Flag of Turkish Coast Guard Commander.svg Turkish Coast Guard ** {{flagicon image, Logo of Ministry of Justice (Turkey).svg, border=

Ministry of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

** {{flagicon image, RTÜK logo.svg, border=

Radio and Television Supreme Council Radio and Television Supreme Council (), also known in short as RTÜK, is the Turkish state agency for monitoring, regulating, and sanctioning radio and television broadcasts. RTÜK was founded in 1994 and is composed of nine members elected by ...

Istanbul Governor's Office Buildings and structures of the Ottoman Empire Government buildings completed in 1756 1756 establishments in the Ottoman Empire Official residences in Turkey Buildings and structures in Istanbul Fatih Istanbul Governor's Office ...

** Government and anti{{nbhprotest parties *** {{flagicon image, Justice_and_development_party_magnified_flag_icon.png

Justice and Development Party Justice and Development Party may refer to several political parties, the best-known ones being: * Justice and Development Party (Morocco) * Justice and Development Party (Turkey) Justice and Development Party may also refer to: * Justice and Dev ...

*** {{flagicon image, Flag_of_the_Nationalist_Movement_Party.svg

Nationalist Movement Party The Nationalist Movement Party, or alternatively translated as Nationalist Action Party (, MHP), is a Turkish Far-right politics, far-right, ultranationalism, ultranationalist Political parties in Turkey, political party. The group is often de ...

*** {{flagicon image, Patriotic Party (Turkey) flag icon.svg

Patriotic Party The Patriotic Party (), also known as the Patriot Party or, in English, as the Reform Party, was a political movement in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the period of the Four-Year Sejm (Great Sejm) of 1788–1792, whose chief achieveme ...

* {{nobr, {{flagicon image, IBDA-C.svg

İBDA-C The Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' Front (''İslami Büyükdoğu Akıncılar Cephesi'' in Turkish language, Turkish, abbreviated İBDA-C) is an Islamism, Islamist militant organization. The group's self-proclaimed goal is to dismantle Turkey an ...

sympathizers {{tree list/end , leadfigures1 = {{flagicon image, Flag of the Republican People's Party (Turkey).svg

(arrested)
{{flagicon image, Flag of the Republican People's Party (Turkey).svg

Özgür Özel Özgür Özel () (born 21 September 1974) is a Turkish pharmacist and politician who has served as Leader of the Republican People's Party, leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) since 2023. He had previously shared the parliamentary group ...

{{flagicon image, Flag of the Republican People's Party (Turkey).svg

Mansur Yavaş Mansur Yavaş (; born 23 May 1955) is a Turkish lawyer and politician who is currently the Mayor of Ankara, holding the office since April 2019. He was elected in the 2019 Ankara mayoral election as the candidate of the Nation Alliance (Turkey), ...

{{flagicon image, Victory_Party_(turkey)_magnified_flag_icon.png

Ümit Özdağ Ümit Özdağ (; born 3 March 1961, Tokyo) is a Turkish politician and the current leader of the Victory Party. He was deputy leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) from November 2015 to February 2016. He announced his candid ...

(arrested until 17 June)
{{flagicon image, Memleket Partisi Magnified Flag Icon.png Muharrem Ince
{{flagicon image, Flag_of_the_Good_Party.svg

Müsavat Dervişoğlu Dursun Müsavat Dervişoğlu (born February 1, 1960) is a Turkish businessman, politician and the party leader, leader of the Good Party. Biography Dervişoğlu was born in Ankara to a family from Fatsa, where he later moved to and studied pri ...

{{flagicon image, Flagoftip.svg Erkan Baş
, leadfigures2 = {{flagicon image, Flag of the President of Turkey.svg

{{flagicon image, Flag of the President of Turkey.svg

Cevdet Yılmaz Cevdet Yılmaz (born 1 April 1967) is a Turkish politician who has been the 2nd and current vice president of Turkey since 2023. Previously, he served as a Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey in the interim election government formed by Prime Mini ...

{{flagicon image, Flag_of_the_Nationalist_Movement_Party.svg

Devlet Bahçeli Devlet Bahçeli (born 1 January 1948) is a Turkish people, Turkish politician, economist, former Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, deputy prime minister, and current chairman of the Far-right politics, far-right, Ultranationalism, ultranationa ...

{{flagicon image, InteriorMinistryTR.png

Ali Yerlikaya Ali Yerlikaya (born 11 October 1968) is a Turkish people, Turkish bureaucrat serving as the Ministry of the Interior (Turkey), minister of the interior since 4 June 2023. He previously served as the governor of Istanbul from 2018 to 2023. Follow ...

{{flagicon image, Logo of Ministry of Justice (Turkey).svg

Yılmaz Tunç Yılmaz Tunç (born 1 February 1971) is a Turkish politician of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Minister of Justice in the Cabinet of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Before he was several terms a member of the Grand National Assembly of Tu ...

{{flagicon image, Flag of Turkey.svg

Davut Gül Davut Gül is a Turkish bureaucrat and the current Governor of Istanbul. He graduated from Near East University's Department of International Relations. He started his political career as a candidate for Kaymakam ''()'' in Gaziantep. In 2009 h ...

, howmany1 = *2,200,000+ in Istanbul
( CHP estimate) , howmany2 = *34

prosecutors A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in Civil law (legal system), civil law. The prosecution is the ...

* Hundreds of

riot police Riot police are police who are organized, deployed, trained or equipped to confront crowds, protests or riots. Riot police may be regular police officers who act in the role of riot police in particular situations, or they may be separate unit ...

officers outside

Istanbul Justice Palace The Istanbul Justice Palace () is a courthouse in the Kağıthane district of Istanbul, Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Th ...

* Widespread use of

TOMA Toma or TOMA may refer to: Places *Toma, Burkina Faso, a town in Nayala province * Toma Department, a department in Nayala province *Toma, Banwa, Burkina Faso, a town * Tōma, Hokkaidō, Japan, a town **Tōma Station, its railway station *Toma, a ...

tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymatory agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the Mace (spray), early commercial self-defense spray, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the ey ...

and

pepper-spray projectile A pepper-spray projectile, also called a pepper-spray ball, pepper-ball, pepper bomb, or pepper-spray pellet, is a Frangibility, frangible projectile containing a powdered chemical that irritates the eyes and nose in a manner similar to pepper sp ...

s , injuries = 150

police officers A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of ...

(government claim) , arrests = Hundreds of protesters , detentions = ~2,000 protesters{{Update inline, date=April 2025 Protests began throughout Turkey on 19 March 2025 following the detention and arrest of Istanbul mayor

and more than 100 other opposition members and protesters by Turkish authorities. The gatherings represented significant public opposition to what participants characterized as politically motivated legal actions against İmamoğlu, who was the primary opposition candidate for the 2028 Turkish presidential election{{Cite news , last=Emin Caliskan , first=Mehmet , date=19 March 2025 , title=Protesters say Istanbul mayor detention is a blow to democracy , url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/protesters-say-istanbul-mayor-detention-is-blow-democracy-2025-03-19/ , access-date=19 March 2025 , work=Reuters and

Turkish president The president of Turkey, officially the president of the Republic of Türkiye (), is the head of state and head of government of Turkey. The president directs the executive branch of the national government and is the commander-in-chief of the ...

's main political rival. The demonstrations have been supported by the CHP and many other political parties, organizations, and associations. Hundreds of thousands of people are protesting in almost all of Turkey's cities (especially in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

and

İzmir İzmir is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. In 2024, the city of İzmir had ...

), with the biggest crowd being in front of the

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (, İBB) is the government agency in charge of the municipal affairs of the Istanbul Province. It is one of the 30 metropolitan municipalities in Turkey. History The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality ...

's headquarters. University students are playing a major role in these protests. The protesters represent a broad ideological spectrum, including both

right Rights are law, legal, social, or ethics, ethical principles of freedom or Entitlement (fair division), entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal sy ...

and

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...

individuals. In this context, symbols of the Republic—particularly Atatürk—are frequently used as a unifying framework and symbolic point of reference throughout the demonstrations. The protests are occurring in the context of an

economic crisis A financial crisis is any of a broad variety of situations in which some financial assets suddenly lose a large part of their nominal value. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many financial crises were associated with banking panics, and ma ...

. The

Turkish lira The lira (; Currency sign, sign: Turkish lira sign, ₺; ISO 4217, ISO 4217 code: TRY; abbreviation: TL) is the official currency of Turkey. It is also legal tender in the ''de facto'' state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. One lira i ...

's value to the U.S. dollar fell by 16.3% in the three days following İmamoğlu's arrest.

Background

{{Main article, Arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, Purges in Turkey following the 2016 Turkish coup attempt, Human rights in Turkey

, a 54-year-old politician from the

Republican People's Party The Republican People's Party (RPP; , CHP ) is a Kemalism, Kemalist and Social democracy, social democratic political party in Turkey. It is the oldest List of political parties in Turkey, political party in Turkey, founded by Mustafa Kemal ...

(CHP), had served as

Mayor of Istanbul The mayor of Istanbul is the head of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The mayor is elected popularly every five years. Nuri Aslan has served as interim mayor of Istanbul since 26 March 2025. This article covers the Ottoman Empire to the ...

since 2019. İmamoğlu had achieved notable electoral victories against

Turkish President The president of Turkey, officially the president of the Republic of Türkiye (), is the head of state and head of government of Turkey. The president directs the executive branch of the national government and is the commander-in-chief of the ...

's allies in both the

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

and 2024 municipal elections, during which the CHP secured control of most major Turkish cities. These victories were widely interpreted as significant challenges to Erdogan's political dominance. In the months preceding his detention, İmamoğlu had intensified his criticism of the Erdogan administration, resulting in multiple legal actions against him. On 19 March 2025, Turkish authorities detained İmamoğlu on allegations that included

and providing assistance to the

Kurdistan Workers' Party The Kurdistan Workers' Party, or the PKK, isDespite the PKK's 12th Congress announcing plans for total organisational dissolution, the PKK has not yet been dissolved de facto or de jure. a Kurds, Kurdish militant political organization and armed ...

(PKK), an organization designated as

terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...

by Turkey and its

Western allies Western Allies was a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It primarily refers to the leading Anglo-American Allied powers, namely the United States and the United Kingdom, although the term has also be ...

.{{Cite news , last1=Toksabay , first1=Ece , last2=Erkoyun , first2=Ezgi , date=19 March 2025 , title=Turkey detains Erdogan's main rival in what opposition calls 'coup' , url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkish-authorities-order-detention-istanbul-mayor-some-100-others-2025-03-19/ , access-date=19 March 2025 , work=Reuters About 100 journalists and business figures, including his political advisor Murat Ongun, were also accused of alleged criminal activities connected to municipal contracts. Charges included leading a

criminal organization In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...

, accepting bribes, and manipulating tender processes.

Istanbul University Istanbul University, also known as University of Istanbul (), is a Public university, public research university located in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded by Mehmed II on May 30, 1453, a day after Fall of Constantinople, the conquest of Constantinop ...

revoked İmamoğlu's academic degree, which would disqualify him from participating in future presidential elections if upheld.{{Cite web , date=19 March 2025 , title=Türkiye: Massive escalation in ongoing crackdown including arrest of Istanbul mayor , url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/03/turkiye-massive-escalation-in-ongoing-crackdown-including-arrest-of-istanbul-mayor/ , access-date=19 March 2025 , website=Amnesty International The reason given was irregularities after transferring from a private university.{{Cite web , title=Why are there protests in Turkiye? What to know , url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/3/23/why-are-there-protests-in-turkiye-what-to-know , access-date=24 March 2025 , website=Al Jazeera

Protests

19 March

CHP leader

characterized the detention as "a coup against our next president" and urged opposition groups to unify. Within hours of the mayor's detention, a hundred demonstrators assembled near

's central police headquarters, where İmamoğlu had been transported. Protesters expressed support for the mayor while chanting anti-government and anti-Erdoğan slogans. Demonstrators characterized the detention as an attack on democratic processes and institutions, with some describing it as "a coup against İmamoğlu", emphasizing that İmamoğlu had "beat Erdoğan four times at the ballot box" through legitimate democratic processes. Protesters expressed their belief the detention would strengthen public support for İmamoğlu, with many anticipating the arrest and vowing to continue demonstrations until the decision was reversed. Municipal workers participated in the demonstrations. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered around the municipal offices of Istanbul, with Özel urging them to continue support for İmamoğlu while referring to him as "future president of Turkey".{{Cite web , title=Protests in Turkey as Imamoglu, key Erdogan rival, is arrested - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012 , url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2025/03/protests-turkey-imamoglu-key-erdogan-rival-arrested , access-date=20 March 2025 , website=Al-monitor Dilek İmamoğlu, Ekrem İmamoğlu's wife, urged supporters to "raise their voices", stating that: "The day the government decides its opponents is the day democracy dies." The

responded by prohibiting public gatherings in the city, deploying security forces to establish barricades around the police facility. Riot police units and

water cannon A water cannon is a device that shoots a high-velocity stream of water. Typically, a water cannon can deliver a large volume of water, often over dozens of meters. They are used in firefighting, large vehicle washing, riot control, and mining. ...

vehicles were positioned to block roads leading to the headquarters. Despite this, thousands of protesters demonstrated outside city hall, with many shouting slogans such as "Imamoglu, you are not alone!" and "Erdogan, dictator!". Clashes between police and protesters were recorded by witnesses, including an instance of police using

pepper spray Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, mace, or capsicum spray is a Tear gas, lachrymator (tear gas) product containing as its active ingredient the chemical compound capsaicin, which irritates the eyes with burning ...

on a crowd protesting outside Istanbul University.{{Cite web , date=19 March 2025 , title=Ekrem Imamoglu: Protests erupt in Turkey after Erdogan rival arrested , url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yren8mxp8o , access-date=20 March 2025 , website=

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Police barricaded and blocked roads that led to the Vatan Security Department, where İmamoğlu was detained.{{Cite web , title=Thousands protest against arrest of Istanbul mayor seen as key Erdoğan rival , url=https://www.euronews.com/2025/03/20/thousands-protest-against-arrest-of-istanbul-mayor-seen-as-key-erdogan-rival , access-date=20 March 2025 , website=Euronews, date=20 March 2025 Banners with Ekrem İmamoğlu's pictures and a quote by

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish field marshal and revolutionary statesman who was the founding father of the Republic of Turkey, serving as its first President of Turkey, president from 1923 until Death an ...

: "Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation", were unfurled in front of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality building. Hundreds of protesters in

gathered around the headquarters of the CHP to protest along with CHP lawmakers. CHP representatives attempted to impede the legal proceedings in the

Grand National Assembly of Turkey The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( ), usually referred to simply as the GNAT or TBMM, also referred to as , in Turkish, is the Unicameralism, unicameral Turkey, Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by ...

, before marching out in protest.

Middle East Technical University Middle East Technical University (commonly referred to as METU; in Turkish language, Turkish, ''Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi'', ODTÜ) is a prestigious public university, public Institute of technology, technical university located in Ankara, ...

(METU) students marched on campus demanding the resignation of the government. Afterwards many attempted to move to Kızılay, but were stopped by barricades and police on Eskişehir Road, who pepper sprayed them.

Mayor of Ankara The mayor of Ankara is the head of the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality. The mayor is elected popularly every five years. Governors as mayors (1924–1960) * 1 Mehmet Ali Bey (1924–1924) * 2 Ali Haydar Bey (1924–1926) * 3 Asaf Bey (1926–19 ...

stated that he would travel to Istanbul to provide support for İmamoğlu and the tens of thousands of protesters.{{Cite web , title=Saraçhane'de "İmamoğlu" protestosu , url=https://www.dw.com/tr/sara%C3%A7hanede-i%CC%87mamo%C4%9Flu-protestosu/live-71968500 , access-date=20 March 2025 , website=dw.com, language=tr Significant demonstrations were reported in

Adana Adana is a large city in southern Turkey. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, inland from the northeastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the administrative seat of the Adana Province, Adana province, and has a population of 1 81 ...

Trabzon Trabzon, historically known as Trebizond, is a city on the Black Sea coast of northeastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. The city was founded in 756 BC as "Trapezous" by colonists from Miletus. It was added into the Achaemenid E ...

, and

. In

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, Ireland, the group ''Democratic Türkiye Community in Ireland'' began demonstrations against İmamoğlu's arrest.

20 March

Mass demonstrations broke out in several major Turkish cities. Significant protests were reported in Mamak (Ankara), Ankara,

Bolu Bolu is a city in northern Turkey, and administrative center of the Bolu Province and of Bolu District,Şişli Şişli () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 10 km2, and its population is 276,528 (2022). Located on the European side of the city, it is bordered by Beşiktaş ...

(Istanbul), İzmir,

Samsun Samsun is a List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, city on the north coast of Turkey and a major Black Sea port. The urban area recorded a population of 738,692 in 2022. The city is the capital of Samsun Province which has a population of ...

Manavgat Manavgat is a municipality and district of Antalya Province, Turkey. Its area is 2,351 km2, and its population is 252,941 (2022). It is from the city of Antalya. The Manavgat River has a waterfall near the city. Geography Between the Ta ...

(Antalya),

Ayvalık Ayvalık (), formerly also known as Kydonies (), is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Balıkesir Province, Turkey. Its area is 305 km2, and its population is 75,126 (2024). It is a seaside town on the northwestern Aegean Se ...

(Balıkesir),

Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from 'old' and 'city') is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 821 315 (Odunpazari + Tebebasi), with a metropolitan population of 921 630. The city is l ...

Mersin Mersin () is a large city and port on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast of Mediterranean Region, Turkey, southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of the Mersin Province (formerly İçel). It is made up of four district governorates ...

Muğla Muğla () is a city in southwestern Turkey. The city is the center of the district of Menteşe, Muğla, Menteşe and Muğla Province, which stretches along Turkey's Aegean Sea, Aegean coast. Muğla's center is situated inland at an altitude of ...

Bursa Bursa () is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the Marmara Region, Bursa is one of the industrial centers of the country. Most of ...

Didim Didim is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Aydın Province, Turkey. Its area is 424 km2, and its population is 97,000 (2022). It is a popular seaside holiday resort on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of western Turkey, from t ...

(Aydın),

Denizli Denizli is a city in Aegean Region, Aegean Turkey, and seat of the province of Denizli Province, Denizli. The city forms the urban part of the districts Merkezefendi and Pamukkale, Denizli, Pamukkale, with a population of 691 783 in 2024. Denizl ...

Antalya Antalya is the fifth-most populous city in Turkey and the capital of Antalya Province. Recognized as the "capital of tourism" in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera, Antalya sits on Anatolia's southwest coast, flanked by the Tau ...

Çorum Çorum () is a northern Anatolian city in Turkey. Çorum is located inland in the central Black Sea Region of Turkey and is approximately from Ankara and from Istanbul. It is the seat of Çorum Province and of Çorum District.< ...

Konya Konya is a major city in central Turkey, on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, and is the capital of Konya Province. During antiquity and into Seljuk times it was known as Iconium. In 19th-century accounts of the city in En ...

Sakarya Sakarya may refer to: Places * Sakarya (continent), a small continent 90 million years ago * Sakarya, Ardanuç, a village in Artvin Province, Turkey * Sakarya, Polatlı, a village in Ankara Province, Turkey * Sakarya gas field, in the Black Sea * ...

Amasya Amasya () is a city in northern Turkey, in the Black Sea Region. It was called Amaseia or Amasia in antiquity."Amasya" in ''Encyclopædia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol ...

Giresun Giresun () is a city in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon. It is the seat of Giresun Province and Giresun District.Rize Rize (; ; ; ka, რიზე}; ) is a coastal city in the eastern part of the Black Sea Region of Turkey. It is the seat of Rize Province and Rize District.Kırıkkale Kırıkkale is a city in the Central Anatolia Region, Turkey, Central Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the seat of Kırıkkale Province and Kırıkkale District.Karabük Karabük is a city in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is the seat of Karabük Province and Karabük District.Istanbul University Istanbul University, also known as University of Istanbul (), is a Public university, public research university located in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded by Mehmed II on May 30, 1453, a day after Fall of Constantinople, the conquest of Constantinop ...

. Police intervened against the protests of Mersin, Galatasaray, Dokuz Eylül, Ankara, and Kocaeli Universities, with pepper spray, barricades, and force. The nose of a protester was broken after it was kicked by a police officer, while others were detained. The Tandoğan campus of

Ankara University Ankara University () is a public university, public research university in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in Turkey after the History of the Republic of Turkey, formation of the Turkish republ ...

was surrounded with police barricades, with several students being prohibited from entering while the rest required ID access to enter. Resistance from students inside the campus led to several prohibited students being able to enter, and protesters marching on campus against the government. Following the march, the students were prohibited from leaving the campus, with attempts to take down the barricades being met with pepper spray and beatings from police. METU students started a protest march from Dormitory 5, shouting anti-government slogans. Students from

Bilkent University Bilkent University () is a private non-profit research university located in Ankara, Turkey. It was founded by İhsan Doğramacı, the first president of the Council of Higher Education and the head of the prominent Doğramacı family, with th ...

and

Hacettepe University Hacettepe University () is a public research university in Ankara, Turkey. It was established on 8 July 1967. It is ranked first among the Turkish universities by University Ranking by Academic Performance in 2021. The university has two main c ...

joined the march by taking down police barricades at the METU A1 Gate. Despite the police using

plastic bullet Plastic bullet can refer to: * Plastic baton round: a large, blunt, low-velocity projectile fired from a specialized gun, intended as a less-lethal weapon for riot control and an alternative to rubber bullets. * Plastic bullet: a conventionall ...

s, pepper spray, and

, the march continued. A mass demonstration took place outside the Embassy of Turkey in London, with members of the Workers' Party of Turkey and the Turkish Kurdish Community Solidarity Center unravelling banners protesting the restrictive acts of the Turkish government. In Germany, mass demonstrations conducted by the

were reported in Berlin and

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

, calling upon European states to enact greater action against the Turkish government crackdowns. Interior Minister of Turkey

reported that over 18.6 million social media posts concerning the arrests of opposition figures appeared online by 6 a.m. on 20 March.{{Cite web , date=20 March 2025 , title=Turkey arrests dozens for online posts after Erdogan rival held , url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpv43dd3vlgo , access-date=20 March 2025 , website=bbc.com

21 March

Protests intensified in many cities including Istanbul,

and

, while spreading to

Niğde Niğde (; ; Hittite: Nahita, Naxita) is a city and is located in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. It is the seat of Niğde Province and Niğde District.Trabzon Trabzon, historically known as Trebizond, is a city on the Black Sea coast of northeastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. The city was founded in 756 BC as "Trapezous" by colonists from Miletus. It was added into the Achaemenid E ...

, and

22 March

The continuation of İmamoğlu's detention further fueled anti-government mobilizations. The protests were driven by opposition parties, labor unions, civil rights groups, and other citizens, expressing their dissatisfaction with what they considered

authoritarian Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and ...

actions by

's government. These protests had been building, but 22 March marked their peak, with demonstrators demanding İmamoğlu's release and calling for an end to government measures they deemed undemocratic. Istanbul became the epicenter of large-scale

protests A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...

, with gatherings erupting in districts such as Saraçhane,

Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 18 km2 and its population is 175,190 (2022). It is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and ...

Kadıköy Kadıköy () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district on the Asian side of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 25 km2, and its population is 467,919 (2023). It is a large and populous area in the Asian si ...

, and

Şişli Şişli () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 10 km2, and its population is 276,528 (2022). Located on the European side of the city, it is bordered by Beşiktaş ...

. However,

Taksim Square Taksim Square (, ), situated in Beyoğlu in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey, is a major tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops, and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, with the central station of th ...

, a historically significant site, was blockaded by heavy police presence, preventing demonstrations there. Despite this, protesters in other areas carried banners and chanted slogans like "{{lang, tr, Susma, sustukça, sıra sana gelecek!" ("Don't stay quiet, the longer you do, it will be your turn!"), "{{lang, tr, Hükümet istifa!" ("Government, resign!"), and "{{lang, tr, Hak, hukuk, adalet!" ("Right, law, justice!"), while others participated by banging pots and pans from their balconies, reminiscent of the 2013 Gezi Park protests Riot police, reinforced by armored vehicles and

water cannon trucks, took up defensive positions in the city. Despite the largely peaceful nature of the protests, tensions escalated when security forces attempted to disperse the crowds, citing concerns over illegal gatherings and

public disorder Public security or public safety is the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. It is often conducted by a state government to ensure ...

. The police response was forceful, deploying tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons against protesters who refused to leave. Violent clashes broke out in

Bozdoğan Kemeri The Aqueduct of Valens (, ) was a Roman aqueduct system built in the late 4th century AD, to supply Constantinople – the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. Construction of the aqueduct began during the reign of the Roman emperor Constantius ...

, where thousands had gathered in defiance of government warnings. Many responded by throwing plastic bottles, chanting slogans, and waving opposition party flags, particularly those of the CHP. In

, videos circulated of police beating up protestors and detaining them while they shouted for help. Elsewhere in the country, demonstrations took place in

, where crowds and CHP representatives attempted to march to the

to demand justice. Police barricaded major roads, preventing demonstrators from reaching the parliament building, which had been heavily fortified with additional riot units. In İzmir, thousands flooded Lozan Square to begin a march to

Alsancak Alsancak is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Konak, İzmir, Konak, İzmir Province, Turkey. Its population is 5,581 (2022). It is part of the historic center of the city of İzmir. Overview As a notional zone, Alsancak extends ...

, disregarding the five-day demonstration ban set in place by the Governor of İzmir, waving Turkish flags and chanting pro-democracy slogans. As the protests intensified, the

Turkish Interior Ministry The Ministry of Interior or Ministry of the Interior or Interior Ministry ( lit. Ministry of Internal Affairs) is a government ministry of the Republic of Turkey, responsible for interior security affairs in Turkey. The current Minister of the ...

announced that 343 individuals had been detained during overnight clashes. The ministry claimed security forces acted in accordance with public order laws, arguing some demonstrators engaged in "provocative and violent behavior". However, opposition leaders and human rights organizations accused the government of

excessive force Police brutality is the excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement against an individual or a group. It is an extreme form of police misconduct and is a civil rights violation. Police brutality includes, but is not limited to, ...

, noting many arrested were peaceful protesters exercising their constitutional right to free assembly. Forty-one protesters were detained in Ankara's

Güvenpark Güvenpark or Güven Park (literally: Trust Park), is an urban public park located adjacent to the Liberty Square in the Kızılay neighborhood of Ankara in Turkey. Established in the 1930s as part of the green belts proposed in the urban plan ...

and in an "anti-terror" operation, while 31 others had arrest warrants issued. Of 22 student protesters detained, seven female students were forcibly strip-searched. The

announced that entering and leaving Istanbul was restricted, saying that "Individuals, groups and vehicles from the districts of our province or neighboring provinces, who are likely to join illegal actions individually or collectively by using the route of our province, will not be allowed to enter or leave our province".

23 March

Large crowds gathered in central areas such as Kadıköy, chanting slogans like “Justice for all” and “This is not about a mayor; it's about democracy.” Protesters described the situation as an attack on electoral legitimacy and democratic governance.{{cite web , url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/22/turkey-protests-istanbul-mayor-grow-into-fight-about-democracy , title=Turkey's protests over Istanbul mayor grow into 'fight about democracy' , work=The Guardian , date=23 March 2025 , last1=Michaelson , first1=Ruth Turkish police responded with

and riot control tactics. Several protesters were reportedly injured during the crackdown, and some were detained.

's president Ebubekir Şahin, warned some TV channels on X that there could be penalties applicable up to broadcast suspension and license revocation,if they kept engaging in activities such as broadcasting against the law and calling the people to the streets. This resulted in some channels ,such as {{Interlanguage link, Sözcü TV, tr and

Halk TV Halk TV is a Turkish nationwide TV channel established in 2005. It is known for its relationship with the Republican People's Party (CHP), although the previous links were cut off in 2011 under the new CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.BBC, 4 Ju ...

cutting their live broadcasts of rallies and protests at the Metropolitan Municipality building. As a result, several millions tuned into livestreams of the protests broadcast from İmamoğlu's

accounts and the CHP. The broadcast resulted in a record number of simultaneous viewers of the livestream, at 4 million. After calls on social media to boycott brands associated with the AKP, as well as smaller businesses that refused to help protesters or sell to them,

threatened a boycott on media companies if they did not cover the protests. At 12:20 p.m. İmamoğlu was formally arrested following a

court order A court order is an official proclamation by a judge (or panel of judges) that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the carrying o ...

. The Istanbul Criminal Court mandated his detention pending trial on charges of corruption and alleged connections to the

(PKK), a group designated as terrorist by Turkey. The terrorism charges were dropped as the court focused on corruption. Despite misinformation, this move means that a trustee cannot be appointed to Istanbul. İmamoğlu denied the allegations, labeling them as baseless and politically motivated. His legal team announced plans to appeal the court's decision, asserting that the charges are intended to suppress political dissent. At 10:49 p.m. local time, after most of the votes from the

primary election Primary elections or primaries are elections held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election. In a partisan primary, a political party selects a candidate. Depending on the state and/or party, there may be an "open pr ...

were counted, the CHP declared on X that their presidential candidate for the upcoming elections is Ekrem İmamoğlu. A protest was held in

Valletta Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...

by Turkish residents in

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

24 March

Interior Minister

claimed that some of the arrested protesters were identified as having ties with terrorist organizations⁣⁣, and others had criminal records.{{Cite web , date=24 March 2025 , title=Turkey detains journalists as protests grow over the jailing of key Erdogan rival , url=https://apnews.com/article/turkey-istanbul-mayor-protest-journalists-detained-erdogan-f6e803ab00ce86097aba78b3a94ef061 , access-date=24 March 2025 , website=

AP News The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are distributed to its members, maj ...

, language=en Yerlikaya announced that 123

police officer A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...

s were injured during the protests, with

fireworks Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...

. He wrote, "Terrorizing our streets and threatening the peace and security of our nation will absolutely not be tolerated".{{Cite web , date=24 March 2025 , title=Turkey protests: 1,133 detained amid unrest over president's main rival being jailed , url=https://news.sky.com/story/turkey-protesters-met-with-tear-gas-and-rubber-bullets-at-rallies-after-presidents-main-rival-jailed-13334597 , access-date=24 March 2025 , website=Sky News , language=en X stated that it is objecting to multiple court orders from Turkish authorities to block over 700 anti-government accounts, including news organizations, journalists and politicians in Turkey. President Erdoğan, after speaking at a cabinet meeting in

, said that the CHP is responsible for every property damage and harm to police officers. He also said that the protesters had turned into a "movement of violence". The Turkish opposition called for a

boycott A boycott is an act of nonviolent resistance, nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organisation, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for Morality, moral, society, social, politics, political, or Environmenta ...

of companies owned by holdings close to the government and TV channels that censored images of the mobilizations. Videos surfaced on social media was claimed that protesters climbing on top of the

Şehzade Mosque The Şehzade Mosque () is a 16th-century Ottoman imperial mosque located in the district of Fatih, on the third hill of Istanbul, Turkey. It was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent as a memorial to his son Şehzade Mehmed who died in 1543 ...

and drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes, others were seen urinating on the walls of the mosque and littering the courtyard.{{Reliable, date=April 2025 Vandals had desecrated the graveyard by breaking tombstones.{{Reliable, date=April 2025

25 March

A judge ordered the pre-trial detention of seven journalists, including

Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse (; AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency. With 2,400 employees of 100 nationalities, AFP has an editorial presence in 260 c ...

photographer Yasin Akgül, accused by the authorities of taking part in an illegal rally. They were charged with "refusing to disperse despite warning during a demonstration".{{Cite web , last=Spenser , first=Jonathan , date=25 March 2025 , title=Turks say they will carry on with protests as Erdogan says 'show' will end , url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turks-vow-protest-even-erdogan-says-show-will-end-2025-03-25/ , website=

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...

{{Cite web , date=25 March 2025 , title=« Il ne manifestait pas » : l'AFP appelle la Turquie à libérer son photographe incarcéré , url=https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/international/article/turquie-apres-les-manifestations-l-afp-appelle-a-la-liberation-d-un-de-ses-photographes_247940.html , access-date=25 March 2025 , website=Le HuffPost , language=fr Agence France Presse called for the photographer's release. The court's decision was called “scandalous” by

Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders (RWB; ; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organisation, non-governmental organization headquartered in Paris, which focuses on safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its a ...

, while Turkish Photojournalists Union called it “unlawful, unconscionable and unacceptable”.{{Cite news , last=Michaelson , first=Ruth , date=25 March 2025 , title=Eight journalists covering anti-government protests held in Turkey , url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/25/eight-journalists-covering-anti-government-protests-held-in-turkey , access-date=25 March 2025 , work=

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

, language=en-GB , issn=0261-3077 Protesters said they will continue protesting against the government despite arrests. Yerlikaya said in a post on X: "No concessions will be made to those who attempt to terrorise the streets, to attack our national and moral values, and our police officers”. The local governorate extended the ban on gatherings in

until 1 April.

26 March

CHP leader

held a meeting with Ekrem İmamoğlu at

, located west of Istanbul. He described İmamoğlu and two other jailed politicians as “three lions inside, standing tall, with their heads held high … proud of themselves, their families, their colleagues, not afraid”. Afterwards Özel said he was planning to appoint an

acting mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

in İmamoğlu’s place. Istanbul's municipal council later elected

, a CHP member who won 177 votes in the 314-member council. President Erdoğan continued speaking against the protests and labelled them as "street terror”. He said: “Those who spread terror in the streets and want to set fire to this country have nowhere to go. The path they have taken is a dead end”. He also accused the opposition of harming the economy.

27 March

The BBC said its correspondent, Mark Lowen, had been expelled from Turkey after being detained while covering the protests. A court released Yasin Akgül and six other journalists who had been detained while covering the protests. The RTUK imposed a 10-day broadcasting ban on Sözcü TV, accusing it of incitement in its coverage.{{Cite web , title=Turquie: le pouvoir tente d'éteindre la contestation , url=https://www.courrierinternational.com/depeche/turquie-le-pouvoir-tente-d-eteindre-la-contestation.afp.com.20250327.doc.382z3cp.xml , access-date=27 March 2025 , website=Courrier international , language=fr Swedish journalist

Joakim Medin Kaj Joakim Medin (born 28 August 1984) is a Swedish journalist and writer. Publications In 2016, Medin wrote the book ''Kobane: den kurdiska revolutionen och kampen mot IS'' (translation: "Kobani: The Kurdish revolution and the battle against IS ...

was detained on arrival in Turkey, where he was due to cover the protests. On 28 March, the editor-in-chief of his newspaper ({{Interlanguage link, Dagens ETC, sv),{{Cite web , date=28 March 2025 , title=Swedish Journalist's Arrest in Turkey Sparks Global Outcry , url=https://swedenherald.com/article/swedish-journalists-arrest-in-turkey-sparks-global-outcry , access-date=28 March 2025 , website=

Sweden Herald Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

, language=en reported Medin had been taken into custody. He has been jailed pending trial on charges of “insulting the president” and “membership in a terrorist organization,” according to Ankara's Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. His arrest is linked to a 2023 protest in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, where a mannequin resembling Erdogan was hung outside city hall.{{Cite web , date=28 March 2025 , title=İsveçli gazeteci Joakim Medin Türkiye'de tutuklandı , url=https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/c0mwm81nx0wo , access-date=28 March 2025 , website=BBC News Türkçe , language=tr Press freedom organizations condemned the arrest. Reporters Without Borders Sweden called it "indefensible," while Amnesty Sweden warned it was a threat to freedom of expression. The Swedish Newspaper Publishers' Association urged the

Swedish government The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden () is the national cabinet of Sweden, and the country's executive authority. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and their cabinet ministers (). The Government is responsible for its actions ...

to act "sharply and swiftly" for Medin's release, calling Turkey’s media restrictions alarming. 1,879 people were detained and 260 people were arrested since the beginning of the protests.

28 March

İmamoğlu's lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, was detained.

claimed his detainment was linked with allegations of "laundering assets originating from a crime". He was released from detention under judicial supervision. İmamoğlu tweeted: "As if the coup on democracy wasn't enough, they can't stand the victims of this coup defending themselves". Two more journalists covering the protests, Elif Bayburt, who works for the Etkin News Agency, and Nisa Suda Demirel, from the

Evrensel ''Evrensel'' () is a Turkish daily newspaper. History and profile ''Evrensel'' was founded on 7 June 1995. The issues captured and written are from a socialist perspective. The paper is different from other Turkish newspapers in that it present ...

news website, were detained, according to the Journalists union of Turkey. The CHP's boycott website; 'boykotyap.com' was blocked by the Ankara 4th Criminal Judgeship of Peace.

29 March

A mass rally was organized by CHP in

Maltepe, Istanbul Maltepe is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 53 km2, and its population is 528,544 (2022). It is on the northern shore of the Sea of Marmara, adjacent to the Kadıköy district to the west, Kartal district ...

. Ozgur Özel claimed 2.2 million people joined, newspapers put the figure in the hundreds of thousands. A letter from İmamoğlu was read out at the rally:

I have no fear, you are behind me and by my side. I have no fear because the nation is united. The nation is united against the oppressor. They can put me in jail and try me as much as they want, the nation has shown that it will crush all traps and plots.

On the same day, in an interview with France's

Le Monde (; ) is a mass media in France, French daily afternoon list of newspapers in France, newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average print circulation, circulation of 480,000 copies per issue in 2022, including ...

, Özel said he planned to make Saturday rallies a weekly feature in cities across Turkey, with others to be held in Istanbul every Wednesday. Turkish_protester_holding_Turkish_flag_in_Maltepe_rally

Turkish_protester_holding_Turkish_flag_in_Maltepe_rally

A protester wearing a

Pikachu Pikachu (; Japanese: , Hepburn: ) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's ''Pokémon'' media franchise, and the franchise's mascot. First introduced in the video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'', it was created by Atsuko N ...

costume was chased by police in Antalya, leading to the

Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...

mascot becoming a symbol of anti-Erdogan protests. Since then, Pikachu posters and costumes have appeared at protests. President Erdogan called the protests a "show" and warned CHP to stop "provoking" the Turks.{{Cite web , last=Uanick , first=Ayhan , date=29 March 2025 , title=Large crowds rally in Istanbul over jailing of city's mayor , url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/large-crowds-rally-istanbul-over-jailing-citys-mayor-2025-03-29/ , archive-url=https://archive.today/20250329125625/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/large-crowds-rally-istanbul-over-jailing-citys-mayor-2025-03-29/ , archive-date=29 March 2025 , website=

30 March

Özgür Özel called people to

goods and services from companies perceived as close to president Erdoğan.

1 April

Leader of the

(MHP),

, a close ally of President Erdoğan, said that if protests continue, they could be

counter-protest A counter-protest (also spelled counterprotest) is a protest action which takes place within the proximity of an ideologically opposite protest. The purposes of counter-protests can range from merely voicing opposition to the objective of the ot ...

ed by government loyalists, raising the risk of nationwide clashes. He also accused the CHP of "using unrest to destabilize the government". The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into those who made a "boycott call" on social media for incitement to hatred and hostility.

3 April

Eleven people were detained for supporting the economic boycott, including actor Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu.

6 April

Özgür Özel called for anticipated national elections to be held by November at the latest. Speaking at an extraordinary party congress in Ankara, Özel challenged Erdoğan to face the electorate, declaring the protests a powerful act of public dissent.

9 April

The

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is the parliamentary arm of the Council of Europe, a 46-nation international organisation dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The Assembly is made up of ...

(PACE) approved the bill calling for the release of Ekrem İmamoğlu and other mayors with 90 votes in favor and eight against.

11 April

On 11 April, Imamoglu appeared in court for the first time since his arrest, not for the corruption case, but in connection with three other legal proceedings: one for allegedly threatening remarks made in January against Istanbul’s chief prosecutor, Akin Gürlek, and two others concerning suspected irregularities in public procurement and donations during the municipal election campaign. The hearing, normally held at the Caglayan Courthouse, took place instead within the Silivri prison complex, which is closed to the public. The CHP accused the government of weaponizing the judiciary to prevent him from running in the 2028 presidential election. Meanwhile, police conducted aggressive raids on the homes of Imamoglu’s relatives, including that of his father, further heightening tensions. Shortly before the hearing, two investigative journalists, Murat Agirel and Timur Soykan, who had reported on alleged irregularities in the investigations targeting Imamoglu, were also arrested, while 107 students detained during the protests were released. After some teachers in the well-established high schools in Istanbul were suspended for participating in the protests or opposing the government, protests were held in some high schools.

18 April

The trial of nearly 200 people arrested in the protests began. Most of the 189 defendants in the trial, which was held at the Caglayan courthouse, were students, while eight were journalists.

30 April

Joakim Medin was convicted by a court in Ankara on charges of insulting President Erdoğan and sentenced to a suspended 11-month prison term.

1 May

Since the protests coincided with May 1st Labor Day, all groups participating in the protest celebrated Labor Day. 407 people were detained during the May 1st celebrations.

15 May

Esila Ayık, who had been

arrested An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be Interroga ...

and kept in prison for over a month even despite several doctor reports about her being unsuitable for prison conditions, was released, along with two other students.

17 May

Joakim Medin was released and returned to Sweden following lobbying by the Swedish and other European foreign ministries.

28 May

While the protests continued, 23 thousand municipal workers working in Izmir went on strike because they found the wages given by the municipality inadequate. All municipal operations were disrupted for days.{{Citation needed, date=June 2025

31 May

A commemoration was held in Beyoğlu on the 12th anniversary of the

Gezi Park protests A wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Turkey began on 28 May 2013, initially to contest the urban development plan for Istanbul's Gezi Park. The protests were sparked by outrage at the violent eviction of a sit-in at the park protesting ...

, Turkey's largest civil disobedience action. Representatives of political parties, unions, civil society organizations and citizens gathered on Mis Sokak upon the call of Taksim Solidarity.{{Citation needed, date=June 2025

22 June

Ahead of the Pride March to be held in Istanbul, Taksim Metro was closed until further notice by the decision of the Istanbul Governor's Office. The Şişli District Governor's Office imposed a one-day ban on protests within the district borders. Despite the restrictions, more than 50 people were detained during the march held in Kadıköy.

Reactions

İmamoğlu, previously anticipated to run for president in 2028, was nominated by the CHP as its presidential candidate on March 23, despite his imprisonment and the annulment of his university degree, which would technically disqualify him from the race.{{cite web , url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/6/how-much-support-is-there-for-ekrem-imamoglu-istanbuls-imprisoned-mayor , title=How much support is there for Imamoglu, Istanbul's jailed mayor? The protests are perceived as a response to the perceived injustice of incarcerating a democratically elected mayor who has been characterized as a "man of the people," reflecting broader concerns about democratic backsliding in Turkey. Despite his detention, İmamoğlu managed to post a

statement in defiance, stating that he would "not give up" and would "continue standing up against the pressure" as a significant opposition figure against the current Turkish administration. Some politicians from the

Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (; , abbreviated as DEM Party) is a pro- Kurdish political party in Turkey. It is the legal successor of the Green Left Party and with the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) handing over its work to this ...

(DEM) and Kurdish voters worry that the arrest could stymie the chances of the effort to end the Kurdish-Turkish conflict. DEM deputy leader Ebru Gunay said "What happened in Istanbul showed once again that this country needs a real democracy". However, recent talks between the

PKK The Kurdistan Workers' Party, or the PKK, isDespite the PKK's 12th Congress announcing plans for total organisational dissolution, the PKK has not yet been dissolved de facto or de jure. a Kurdish militant political organization and armed gue ...

and the government suggest that Dem Party has been hesitant to fully back the opposition. While Imamoglu’s supporters gathered in protest near Istanbul, many Kurdish and Dem Party members instead participated in their

Nowruz Nowruz (, , () , () , () , () , Kurdish language, Kurdish: () , () , () , () , , , , () , , ) is the Iranian or Persian New Year. Historically, it has been observed by Iranian peoples, but is now celebrated by many ...

celebrations in the city, not confronting with the government.

Turkey

Turkish government

Following Imamoglu's detention and during subsequent protests, the

prohibited all public gatherings and demonstrations throughout the city for a four-day period. The office also closed major roads and rail networks located in central Istanbul. Access to various social media platforms including X,

, and

was restricted, according to reports from internet monitoring organizations. The

denied allegations from protesters and opposition parties, maintaining that the judiciary operated independently from political influence. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that “courts held those accountable who committed treason against the national will and will do so in the future,” adding that the judiciary would also act against those attempting to sabotage the Turkish economy and the well-being of the nation. When specifically questioned about claims that the detention was politically motivated, representatives from President Erdogan's office did not provide immediate comments. Days later, Erdogan spoke in favor of judicial independence and said the protests were a "disruption of public order". Subway lines and bus transportation were shut down in Ankara's

Station during student protests. Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç defended the judiciary against accusations of political interference, stating that the decision to arrest İmamoğlu was not influenced by President Erdoğan and reaffirming the independence of the courts.

Opposition response

The Republican People's Party (CHP) criticized the charges against İmamoğlu as politically motivated, stating that the government aims to prevent him from running in the upcoming presidential elections. CHP leader Özgür Özel not only encouraged nationwide protests but also called for boycotts of products and services linked to companies perceived to be close to the ruling AK Party, a move President Erdoğan denounced as economic sabotage. On 2 April, Özel supported grassroots calls for a one-day shopping boycott. In a social media post, he wrote, “We all saw what state the junta alliance against us fell into in panic. Those who could not go out for years had to go out in a hurry and see the state of the poor nation.” Speaking to protestors in Istanbul, Özel stated, “They’ve detained hundreds of our children, thousands of our youths. They only had one goal in mind: to intimidate them … make sure they never go out again.” Dilek İmamoğlu, the mayor’s wife, stated in a podcast that her husband’s arrest was due to his repeated electoral success, claiming, “The real reason Ekrem İmamoğlu is in custody … sbecause he’s already managed to thrash his opponents at the ballot box four different times.”

International

The detention of İmamoğlu and the ensuing protests attracted international attention, with various governments and human rights organizations expressing concern about

democratic backsliding Democratic backsliding or autocratization is a process of regime change toward autocracy in which the exercise of political power becomes more arbitrary and repressive. The process typically restricts the space for public contest and politi ...

in Turkey.

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

's Deputy Regional Director for Europe Dinushika Dissanayake described the Turkish government actions as "draconian" and an escalated "crackdown on peaceful dissent" to limit

freedom of assembly Freedom of assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the freedom of association, is the individual right or ability of individuals to peaceably assemble and collectively express, promote, pursue, and defend their ideas. The right to free ...

and

speech Speech is the use of the human voice as a medium for language. Spoken language combines vowel and consonant sounds to form units of meaning like words, which belong to a language's lexicon. There are many different intentional speech acts, suc ...

. President of the European Commission

Ursula von der Leyen Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (; ; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician, serving as president of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the Cabinet of Germany, German federal government between 2005 and 2019, holding position ...

said that Turkey would need to maintain its democratic values to avoid potentially losing its European Union candidate country status, stating that the EU wished to stay closely tied to Turkey. A joint statement released by the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Kaja Kallas Kaja Kallas (; born 18 June 1977) is an Estonian politician and diplomat. She was the first female prime minister of Estonia, a role she held from 2021 until 2024, when she resigned in advance of her appointment as High Representative of the ...

and Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement

Marta Kos Marta Kos (; born 28 June 1965) is a Slovenian diplomat and politician. She served as ambassador to Germany from 2013 to 2017, and as ambassador to Switzerland from 2017 to 2020. Since December 2024, she is the European Commissioner for Enlargem ...

remarked that the European Union held Turkey to a higher standard in implementing democratic values due to its candidate status and

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...

membership. Despite public statements of concern, EU officials acknowledged that Ankara's strategic importance in areas such as migration, energy, and defense makes a strong diplomatic or financial backlash unlikely.{{cite web , url=https://www.politico.eu/article/turkey-crisis-recep-tayyip-erdogan-ekrem-imamoglu-arrest-eu-accession-funds/ , title=EU faces billion-euro dilemma over Turkey crisis , date=27 March 2025 EU accession funds and other financial mechanisms continue to benefit Turkey. The country has received around €9 billion to host refugees and remains eligible for billions more under defense-related programs like "Readiness 2030", allowing access to joint procurements worth up to €800 billion. Two anonymous EU officials admitted recent developments in Turkey "go against the very logic of EU accession," referencing the detention of over 1,000 people including journalists since the protests began. However, no concrete action has been taken due to Turkey’s critical geopolitical role. Greece and Cyprus have reportedly pushed for restrictions on Turkey’s access to EU defense funds following İmamoğlu’s arrest, amid broader concerns over rule of law and ongoing regional tensions. Political analyst Dimitar Bechev commented that “whatever Erdoğan does, the EU will have to tag along with it,” suggesting that the EU tolerates democratic backsliding so long as Turkey remains strategically cooperative.

Social media crackdown

In response to the widespread protests following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Turkish government intensified its control over social media platforms.{{Cite web , date=2025-04-07 , title=Musk slammed for 'double standard' in Turkey as X shuts down dissidents' accounts , url=https://www.politico.eu/article/elon-musk-x-appeal-turkish-government-court-over-dissidents-account-suspensions/ , access-date=2025-04-14 , website=POLITICO , language=en-GB Interior Minister of Turkey

announced on the morning of 20 March that law enforcement had identified 261 "suspect account managers" who allegedly shared content "inciting the public to hatred and hostility" and "

incitement In criminal law, incitement is the encouragement of another person to commit a crime. Depending on the jurisdiction, some or all types of incitement may be illegal. Where illegal, it is known as an inchoate offense, where harm is intended but ma ...

to commit a crime." Authorities detained thirty-seven individuals in connection with these allegations, with efforts continuing to apprehend additional suspects. Despite the platform's refusal statements,{{Cite web , title=Turquie : le maire emprisonné d'Istanbul désigné candidat à la présidentielle, plus de 1 130 manifestants arrêtés , url=https://www.liberation.fr/international/moyen-orient/emprisonne-le-maire-distanbul-designe-candidat-a-la-presidentielle-par-son-parti-20250324_MHTTFO5VOJDIRHUUQSNUNOOYV4/ , access-date=24 March 2025 , website=Libération , language=fr , agency=AFP

X (formerly Twitter) Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, imag ...

, owned by

Elon Musk Elon Reeve Musk ( ; born June 28, 1971) is a businessman. He is known for his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter), and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has been considered the wealthiest person in th ...

, complied with government orders to suspend approximately 700 accounts, including those of journalists, activists, and opposition figures. The majority of which were "university-associated activist accounts, basically sharing protest information, locations for students to go," according to Yusuf Can, coordinator and analyst at the Wilson Center's Middle East Program, who also noted that many of them are "grassroots activists" with their followings in the low tens of thousands. This action drew significant criticism from free speech advocates, who accused Musk of a double standard, given his self-proclaimed stance as a "free speech absolutist." Companies such as Twitter{{cite web , date=22 March 2025 , title=Sokak eylemleriyle ilgili bilgi ve içerik paylaşan X hesapları erişime engellendi , url=https://ifade.org.tr/engelliweb/sokak-eylemleriyle-ilgili-bilgi-ve-icerik-paylasan-x-hesaplari-erisime-engellendi/ , access-date=27 March 2025 , website=İfade Özgürlüğü Derneği , language=tr{{cite news , title=X restricts access to activist accounts in Turkey amid İmamoğlu protests , url=https://bianet.org/haber/x-restricts-access-to-activist-accounts-in-turkey-amid-imamoglu-protests-305721 , access-date=27 March 2025 , work=bianet.org , language=en and

Meta Meta most commonly refers to: * Meta (prefix), a common affix and word in English ( in Greek) * Meta Platforms, an American multinational technology conglomerate (formerly ''Facebook, Inc.'') Meta or META may also refer to: Businesses * Meta (ac ...

{{cite web , date=24 March 2025 , title=Mezopotamya Ajansı'nın Instagram hesabı erişime engellendi , url=https://ifade.org.tr/engelliweb/mezopotamya-ajansinin-instagram-hesabi-erisime-engellendi/ , access-date=27 March 2025 , website=İfade Özgürlüğü Derneği , language=tr censored social media posts related to the protests at the government's request.

Arrests

Nearly 2,000 people have been arrested since the protests began, including several journalists.{{Cite news , last1=Hubbard , first1=Ben , last2=Timur , first2=Safak , date=26 March 2025 , title=Turkey's Opposition Calls for Boycott and Mass Protests After Arrest of Istanbul Mayor , url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/26/world/europe/turkey-istanbul-mayor-protests.html , access-date=26 March 2025 , work=The New York Times , language=en-US , issn=0362-4331

Impact on economy

Following

's arrest, the

dropped by 12.7%, reaching a record low of 42 lira per

US dollar The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...

. While the lira has since settled around 38 to the dollar, foreign investors remain cautious. In response to the turmoil, approximately $16 billion was pulled from Turkish markets, significantly impacting the country’s foreign reserves, which had previously been rebuilt to $65 billion. Meanwhile, the BIST 100 index of the

Istanbul Stock Exchange The Borsa İstanbul (abbreviated as BIST) is the sole exchange entity of Turkey combining the former Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) (), the Istanbul Gold Exchange () and the Derivatives Exchange of Turkey () under one umbrella. It was establishe ...

plunged by 8.72%, falling from 10,802 to 9,860 points. In response, the Turkish Central Bank sold $25 billion in foreign currency in an attempt to stabilize the national currency. This massive intervention also led to an increase in

interest rate An interest rate is the amount of interest due per period, as a proportion of the amount lent, deposited, or borrowed (called the principal sum). The total interest on an amount lent or borrowed depends on the principal sum, the interest rate, ...

s and an upward revision of

inflation In economics, inflation is an increase in the average price of goods and services in terms of money. This increase is measured using a price index, typically a consumer price index (CPI). When the general price level rises, each unit of curre ...

forecasts, with an estimated 29.75% by the end of the year. These events have shaken foreign investors' confidence, undermining Economy Minister

Mehmet Şimşek Mehmet Şimşek (born 1 January 1967) is a Turkish politician and economist, who has been serving as the List of Finance Ministers of Turkey, Minister of Treasury and Finance since 4 June 2023. He was the Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey from 24 ...

’s efforts to restore the country’s

economic An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

stability. The protest also has caused several cancellation or postponement to some scheduled concerts in Istanbul. English rock band

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

postponed its scheduled gig in Istanbul to 2026 due to pressure from the anti-government protesters not to perform, after the concert promoter, Abdulkadir Ozkan, made controversial remarks regarding the protests. Norwegian singer

Ane Brun Ane Brun (; born Ane Brunvoll on 10 March 1976) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist of Sami people, Sami origin who sings primarily in English. Since 2003, she has released eleven studio albums, six live albums, five compilations, o ...

also cancelled her scheduled gig in Istanbul.{{Cite web , last=Oc , first=Efe , date=3 April 2025 , title=Muse cancel Turkish gig after pressure from anti-government protesters , url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3wxq8nw89qo , access-date=3 April 2025 , website=BBC News , language=en-UK

References

{{Reflist

External links

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Protests A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

Internet censorship in Turkey Human rights abuses in Turkey Police brutality in Turkey Protests against police brutality Political repression in Turkey Political violence in Turkey

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Background

Protests

19 March

20 March

21 March

22 March

23 March

24 March

25 March

26 March

27 March

28 March

29 March

30 March

1 April

3 April

6 April

9 April

11 April

18 April

30 April

1 May

15 May

17 May

28 May

31 May

22 June

Reactions

Turkey

Turkish government

Opposition response

International

Social media crackdown

Arrests

Impact on economy

See also

References

External links