Turkey: Huge Crowds in Support of Imamoglu
According to the chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), the main opposition force against Erdogan, 2.2 million Turks took to the streets. Meanwhile, a Swedish journalist was arrested on suspicion of links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
The protests and demonstrations that have been sweeping Turkey throughout the week reached their climax on Saturday, February 29. Opposition forces oppose the arrest of Istanbul mayor and President Erdogan’s political rival, Ekrem Imamoglu.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in a square in the Maltepe neighborhood on the city’s Asian side. According to Ozgur Ozel, chairman of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the number of people gathered could have exceeded two million.
Imamoglu is in detention on charges of corruption and links to terrorism; he previously had his university degree revoked, which is a prerequisite for nomination in the upcoming presidential election.
During the rally, Imamoglu’s message was read from the stage, in which he stated: “The people on the front lines are the ones who are most worried about the future. The youth addresses Erdogan with the words: ‘Show respect for the people. Don’t infringe on the will of the nation. Don’t cheat, compete on fair terms.’ But Erdogan plugs his ears and does not want to hear these voices.”
Meanwhile, Joakim Medin, a journalist from the Swedish newspaper Dagens Etc., was arrested in Turkey. He is accused of being part of a terrorist group and “insulting the president” Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to a statement by the Turkish administration, the journalist disseminated anti-Turkish materials and was close to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organization. Medin traveled to Turkey to cover protests in support of Imamoglu, but Ankara emphasized: “The decision to arrest him has nothing to do with his journalistic activities.”
