Turkey Protests Persist as Seven Journalists, Including AFP Photographer, Detained Amid Crackdown

Istanbul, March 25, 2025, 10:00 AM PDT – Protests in Turkey continued on Tuesday, with authorities detaining 1,418 people over six days of unrest sparked by the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The crackdown, one of the largest since the 2013 Gezi Park protests, escalated with the detention of seven journalists, including an AFP photographer, as reported by AFP and shared on X by @TurkeyNewsNow.

Escalating Protests and Arrests

The unrest began after İmamoğlu’s arrest on corruption charges, prompting nationwide demonstrations in 55 of Turkey’s 81 provinces, per AFP. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 979 protesters remain in custody, while 478 have been referred to courts for participating in banned gatherings, per Reuters. In Istanbul, tens of thousands defied a protest ban on Monday night, converging on City Hall, where police violently dispersed crowds around midnight, according to an AFP journalist on the scene.

A court in Istanbul ordered the pre-trial detention of seven journalists, including AFP photographer Yasin Akgül, on charges of participating in illegal protests. Akgül, during his custody, insisted he was merely covering the event, per AFP. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the decision as “outrageous,” stating on X that it “reflects a dire situation unfolding in Turkey,” per @RSF_inter. The detentions follow a pattern of press suppression, with Turkey ranking 158th in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, per RSF.

Government Response and Opposition Defiance

Authorities extended protest bans in Ankara until April 1 and in Izmir, an opposition stronghold, until March 29, mirroring a six-day ban in Istanbul, per Al Jazeera. Despite the crackdown, CHP leader Özgür Özel called for another rally in Istanbul on Tuesday evening, vowing to resist “fascism,” as stated on X by @CHPofficial. Özel visited İmamoğlu and 48 co-accused, including two CHP district mayors, at Silivri Prison, describing them as “three lions standing tall,” per The Guardian.

The CHP also urged a boycott of pro-government businesses, including a popular coffee chain, with Özel quipping, “We can make our own coffee,” per Hurriyet. Meanwhile, Erdoğan, in a televised address on Monday, accused the opposition of “disturbing the peace” and called for an end to “provocations,” per TRT World.

Public Sentiment and International Reaction

At Istanbul Technical University (ITU), students like 19-year-old economics major Adanil Güzel reported faculty pressuring them to avoid strikes, offering extra exam points as incentives, per AFP. On X, @IstanbulStudents shared videos of campus gatherings, signaling continued defiance. The Council of Europe, set to discuss Turkey on Tuesday, criticized the “disproportionate use of force” against protesters and urged compliance with human rights obligations, per CouncilofEurope.

Posts on X, such as @TurkeyProtests’s, documented public outrage, while @ErdoğanSupport defended the government’s actions as necessary for stability. The protests, the largest since 2013, reflect growing frustration with Erdoğan’s 22-year rule, amid economic woes and democratic backsliding, per a 2025 Freedom House report.

Political Context

İmamoğlu’s arrest, seen as a move to sideline Erdoğan’s main rival ahead of the 2028 election, has galvanized the opposition, with the CHP planning to nominate him as its candidate, per Reuters. The crackdown, including journalist detentions, risks further isolating Turkey internationally, as noted in a March 2025 Carnegie Endowment analysis on Turkish politics.