University students call for government’s downfall from the streets
Thousands of people in Turkey protested on Wednesday demanding the release of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The protests entered their eighth day. The Erdogan government has detained 1,500 people, including students, journalists and lawyers, who participated in the protests in recent days. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the protesters that there will be no place for those who create instability in the country. The United Nations and rights organizations have condemned the use of force and widespread arrests by the police to suppress the protests.
In addition, seven journalists, including an AFP journalist, have been arrested and sent to prison for covering the protests. Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) protested in front of Istanbul City Hall on Tuesday. In addition, the party plans to hold a large protest march in the city next Saturday. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the protesters that there will be no place for those who create instability in the country. The protests began on Wednesday last week. On that day, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and his supporters took to the streets to protest. Imamoglu, the main political rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been charged with corruption. The United Nations and rights groups have condemned the use of force and widespread arrests by police to suppress the protests. Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu claimed that the charges against him were politically motivated. However, Turkish President Erdogan has rejected this claim. On Tuesday, participating in an iftar with young people in the capital Ankara, President Erdogan said that the country is going through a very delicate time. He called on everyone to deal with the situation with patience and wisdom. Erdogan said that those who are pushing the country towards instability will have no place anywhere. The protesters have chosen the path of a tragic end. On Tuesday, students from various universities in Istanbul joined the march on the streets. They chanted slogans demanding the overthrow of the government. The protesters held banners and flags demanding the overthrow of the Erdogan government.
A large number of riot police were deployed in Istanbul to prevent the student march from becoming disorderly. The city authorities have banned any demonstrations there. The ban on demonstrations is mainly to prevent incitement and maintain law and order. Several roads have been closed. In this situation, many students took part in the march wearing masks to hide their identities from the police.
Meanwhile, protests have been ongoing in various cities in Turkey, including the capital Ankara and the largest city Istanbul, throughout the week. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yarlikaya said in a post on social media that about 1,500 people have been detained for participating in “illegal” protests since March 19.
