The İmamoğlu arrest protests escalated into violent clashes on Monday night, as thousands gathered outside Istanbul’s city hall to mark 100 days since the opposition mayor was detained. What began as a rally quickly turned confrontational when police ordered the crowd to disperse, leading to the use of tear gas and dozens of arrests, including journalists.
The protests were organised by Turkey’s main opposition party CHP, which continues to denounce the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu as politically motivated. During the rally, CHP leader Özgür Özel declared that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had become “head of a junta,” no longer representing a democratically elected government.
“Erdoğan is no longer the president of a democracy,” Özel said. “He leads a junta backed by prosecutors, judges, and secret witnesses.”
The İmamoğlu arrest protests also coincided with the arrest of former İzmir mayor Tunç Soyer and more than 150 other individuals in a separate dawn operation. Özel claimed the arrests were part of a broader strategy to suppress opposition ahead of the next elections. “With this morning’s operation, they have stained justice once again,” he added. “Wherever you strike, we will resist.”
He described İmamoğlu’s March arrest as a “planned coup” that included revoking his degree the day before and raiding his home with hundreds of police officers. These claims have further inflamed tensions across Turkey.
As the İmamoğlu arrest protests continued, police deployed chemical irritants to break up the crowd. While most detainees were released later, the crackdown highlighted growing concerns about press freedom and the state of civil liberties in Turkey.
Özel said the CHP has collected over 20 million signatures supporting İmamoğlu, with the aim of exceeding the number of votes Erdoğan received in the 2023 presidential election — a symbolic act of public defiance.
Also present at the protest was İmamoğlu’s wife, Dilek, who gave an emotional speech: “We will not get used to this. Either we’re all free, or none of us are. Thank you for supporting us through 100 days of injustice.”
The İmamoğlu arrest protests have intensified scrutiny on Erdoğan’s government, both domestically and internationally. Human rights groups have called for İmamoğlu’s immediate release and an end to politically motivated prosecutions.
With opposition figures vowing continued resistance, the İmamoğlu arrest protests appear to be just the beginning of a broader movement challenging Erdoğan’s grip on power.
Bunlar böyle işte. “Ya öleceğiz ya öldüreceğiz” diyen cihatçıların sırtını sıvazlar, yakıp yıkmalarını izlerler. Ama mevzubahis demokratik hakları için toplanan üniversite öğrencileri olunca da işte böyle saldırırlar. https://t.co/NPThhhTaHG
— Onur Öncü (@oencueonurer) July 2, 2025
Also read: Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu imprisoned, pending trial in Turkey
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