{"id":2414749,"date":"2025-03-24T17:51:01","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T21:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/turkish-government-arrests-over-1300-istanbul-protesters\/"},"modified":"2025-03-24T17:53:03","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T21:53:03","slug":"turkish-government-arrests-over-1300-istanbul-protesters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/turkish-government-arrests-over-1300-istanbul-protesters\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkish government arrests over 1,300 Istanbul protesters"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fturkish-government-arrests-over-1300-istanbul-protesters%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2414749&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In recent events in Istanbul, the Turkish government has arrested more than 1,300 protesters following the detention of the city\u2019s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, and numerous others amid allegations of corruption. Imamoglu\u2019s arrest has been interpreted by many as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/all-democrats-to-boycott-biden-border-crisis-congressional-hearing-in-texas\/\" title=\"All Democrats to boycott Biden border crisis congressional hearing in Texas\">politically motivated move<\/a> by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan&#8217;s management, aiming to suppress dissent against the government. The detentions sparked widespread protests, gathering tens of thousands of citizens who rallied against perceived government overreach and injustice.<\/p>\n<p>During this turmoil, Erdogan accused opposition forces of stirring unrest and claimed responsibility for the violent clashes fell on Imamoglu and his political party.The protests have been met with heavy police resistance,including the use of tear gas and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/two-proud-boys-indicted-on-conspiracy-charges-for-alleged-role-in-u-s-capitol-riot\/\" title=\"Two Proud Boys Indicted On Conspiracy Charges For Alleged Role In U.S. Capitol Riot\">riot control measures<\/a>. Imamoglu has condemned his arrest as a betrayal, positioning himself as a central figure in the opposition to Erdogan&#8217;s regime.<\/p>\n<p>Internationally, European leaders have expressed concern over Turkey&#8217;s commitment to democratic values as the protests highlighted civil rights issues. Erdogan, in response to this criticism, asserted Turkey&#8217;s strategic importance to Europe in ensuring security and emphasized Turkey&#8217;s willingness to enhance relations with the EU. Amid this climate, Imamoglu&#8217;s supporters are encouraged to participate in upcoming elections as a way to demand accountability and clarity from the government.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Turkey arrests over 1,300 Istanbul protesters as Erdogan rebukes &lsquo;movement of violence&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2073242\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/turkey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Turkish government<\/a> refuses to yield from its arrest of the president&rsquo;s most high-profile political rival, detaining over 1,000 people amid demonstrations in Istanbul.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/istanbul\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Istanbul<\/a>&nbsp;Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested on corruption charges last week by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/erdogan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">President Recep Tayyip Erdogan&rsquo;s<\/a> government, alongside approximately 100 other &ldquo;suspects.&rdquo; Several dozens more were arrested in the following days, some due to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gina-carano-delivers-knock-out-punch-to-disney-with-judges-decision\/\" title=\"Gina Carano Delivers Knock-Out Punch to Disney with Judge\u2019s Decision\">social media posts &#038;ldquo<\/a>;inciting the public to hatred and hostility&rdquo; or deemed &ldquo;incitement to commit a crime.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3356690\/netanyahu-internal-civil-war-idf-bombards-gaza\/\">Netanyahu faces internal &#8216;civil war&#8217; as IDF bombards Gaza<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3355534\/italian-education-ministry-bans-gender-neutral-symbols-schools\/\">Italian education ministry bans gender-neutral symbols in schools<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3356494\/south-korean-court-overturns-impeachment-prime-minister-han\/\">South Korean court overturns impeachment of Prime Minister Han, reinstating him as acting president<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>If persecutions were intended to solidify the government&rsquo;s position against its political rivals, the strategy failed &mdash; the arrests were immediately met with protests that have, by now, swelled to include tens of thousands of citizens.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As a nation, we followed with surprise the events that emerged after the main opposition leader&rsquo;s call to take to the streets following an Istanbul-based corruption operation turned into a movement of violence,&rdquo; Erdogan said of the protests after a Cabinet meeting in Ankara, blaming the unrest on agitation from Imamoglu&rsquo;s political party.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">University students sit at Galata Bridge during a protest on Monday, March 24, 2025, in Istanbul after Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison. (AP Photo\/Huseyin Aldemir)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;The main opposition is responsible for our [injured] police officers, the broken windows of our shopkeepers, and the damaged public property,&rdquo; the president continued. &ldquo;They will be held accountable for all this, politically in parliament and legally by the judiciary.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3353821\/dozens-arrested-turkey-protest-opposition-leader\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">protests<\/a> have been met with harsh response by Turkish police with riot officers deploying riot guns, flares, tear gas, clubs, and pepper spray.<\/p>\n<p>The Turkish government reported this week that it has arrested approximately 1,133 people in relation to the protests.<\/p>\n<p>Imamoglu, the likely presidential candidate of the Republican People&rsquo;s Party and possible rival to Erdogan in the next Turkish election, has characterized his arrest and the subsequent crackdown as a &ldquo;profound betrayal&rdquo; and &ldquo;an execution without trial.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Riot police officers use antiriot rifles and pepper spray to clear protesters during a protest on Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Istanbul after Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison. (AP Photo\/Huseyin Aldemir)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Around the same time as his arrest, Istanbul University named Imamoglu one of 28 students who participated in its English-language program in 1990 whose accreditation contained &ldquo;clear errors.&rdquo; The mayor was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3352311\/istanbul-mayor-ekrem-imamoglu-arrested-college-diploma-revoked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">stripped of his diploma<\/a>, making him ineligible for the presidency.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless, the Republican People&rsquo;s Party continues to urge Turkish voters to cast their ballots for Imamogul, the only candidate on their ballot, hoping that an overwhelming turnout for the mayor will force continued engagement from the government on the issue of election transparency.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I invite our nation to fight for their rights,&rdquo; Imamogul said Sunday via social media as voting locations opened. &ldquo;This fight is crucial for the future of our nation and our children. Today is the day to claim responsibility and stand up for justice against those who usurp the will of the people. All together, leaving no one behind.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>European leaders are watching the riots spread across Istanbul with grim concern, questioning whether the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/european-union\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">European Union<\/a> member state will <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">abandon basic values expected<\/a> of Western nations.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fireworks thrown by protesters explode over riot police during a protest on Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Istanbul after Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison. (AP Photo\/Francisco Seco)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;The arrest of the mayor &#304;mamo&#287;lu and the protesters give rise to the questions regarding Turkey&rsquo;s adherence to its long-established democratic traditions,&rdquo; said European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier. &ldquo;As a Council of Europe member and EU candidate, Turkey must uphold democratic values. The rights of elected officials as well as right of peaceful demonstration need to be fully respected.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Erdogan is not apologetic and seems not to take the idea of European rebuke seriously, stating in his post-cabinet meeting remarks that the continent needs Turkey for its own security.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/beltway-confidential\/3346851\/is-pro-turkey-anti-hamas-possible\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE PRO-TURKEY BUT NOT PRO-HAMAS?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The heated debates over past weeks have shown that European security without Turkey will not be possible,&rdquo; the president said, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeastmonitor.com\/20250324-european-security-not-possible-without-turkiye-erdogan-says\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Middle East Monitor<\/a>. &ldquo;Europe&rsquo;s need for our country has begun to be openly acknowledged, not only in terms of security but also in many areas, from the economy to diplomacy and from trade to social life.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He added, &ldquo;Turkey is ready to advance its relations with European countries and the EU in the framework of common interests and mutual respect.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2073242\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2073242\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Turkey detains over 1,300 Istanbul protesters as Erdogan condemns &#8216;violent movement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3468,"featured_media":2414750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/AP25083653939240.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[5045,52027,3970,7623],"class_list":["post-2414749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-government","tag-istanbul","tag-protests","tag-turkey"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/AP25083653939240.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2414749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2414749"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2414749\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2414753,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2414749\/revisions\/2414753"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2414750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2414749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2414749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2414749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}