Hundreds of thousands in massive protests

Third day of massive protests – despite the president’s threats

Emil Forsberg,

Jonathan Norberg

Published 2025-03-21 20.59

300,000 Turks are demonstrating in the streets after the imprisonment of Erdogan’s biggest rival, according to the opposition.

The president calls it “street terror” – and responds with water cannons and pepper spray.

The Turkish protests have been going on since Wednesday, despite the government having imposed a demonstration ban in several major cities, reports the BBC.

Massive protests on the streets of Istanbul. Photo: Khalil Hamra/AP

The protests, which according to Reuters are the largest the country has seen in over a decade, come after the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

– Break down the barricades without harming the police. Take to the streets and squares, said Ozgur Ozel, party leader of Imamoglu's CHP party.

According to the CHP, 300,000 people have taken to the streets.

          

        

         The police are using pepper spray.

         1 / 2Photo: Khalil Hamra/AP

Cracks within Erdogan's party

The demonstrations have so far led to several violent clashes between police and protesters. According to the AP, around 50 people were arrested on Thursday evening.

On Friday, the protests continued.

Masked protesters armed with stones, sticks and firebombs attacked the police – who responded by firing water cannons and pepper spray, according to videos on social media.

In a speech on Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned what he calls "street terror".

- We will not accept these disturbances, he said.

Dissatisfaction has also begun to grow in Erdogan's own party, the AKP. Party leader Huseyin Kocabiyik is coming down hard on the president:

- Is this your plan? Is this what we fought for? Erdogan, you are actually carrying out a coup against yourself, but you don't understand it, he said after Imamoglu was arrested.

Something that has led Erdogan to now submit a request to permanently expel Kocabiyik.

          

        

        1 / 2Photo: Emrah Gurel/AP

Imamoglu is seen by many as one of Erdogan's main rivals, and has been tipped to become the opposition party CHP's presidential candidate in the 2028 elections.

According to the authorities, he is now suspected of corruption and "association with terrorist organizations", among other things. The opposition in Turkey instead believes that the arrest is politically motivated.