Turkiye arrests 343 in protests over Istanbul mayor’s detention
Shafaq News/ Turkish police arrested 343 protesters in nine cities, including Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Saturday.
Yerlikaya revealed that the arrests took place in other major cities, confirming that security forces intervened to disperse the protests.
İstanbul Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığınca yürütülen İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi soruşturması ile ilgili dün gece İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Adana, Antalya, Çanakkale, Eskişehir, Konya ve Edirne’de meydana gelen eylemlerde 343 şüpheli yakalandı❗️Toplumsal düzeni bozmaya, milletimizin…
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) March 22, 2025
The protests erupted after Turkish authorities announced, on March 19, the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on charges related to leading a criminal network involved in “corruption and bribery.” His supporters dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, calling them an escalation against the opposition.
The wave of arrests included several officials from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and district municipalities aligned with the opposition, further heightening political tensions.
İmamoğlu is one of the most prominent opposition figures in Turkiye and a potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He gained widespread popularity after his victory in Istanbul’s 2019 mayoral elections and has been at the center of controversy in recent years due to his criticism of government policies.
