‘He will defeat you’: Protests break out in Turkey after president’s main rival arrested

Thousands have taken to the streets in Turkey where the worst protests in over a decade have erupted over the arrest of the President’s main rival.

Chaotic scenes have broken out in Turkey where thousands have taken to the streets in the worst protests in over a decade, following the arrest of Istanbul’s embattled mayor and the Turkish President’s main rival – Ekrem Imamoglu.

Mr Imamoglu – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main opponent – was detained early on Wednesday for alleged “corruption” and “supporting a terrorist organisation”.

Four days later, the popular mayor who was on Sunday due to be named as the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) candidate for the next presidential election, was formally arrested and ordered to be jailed, pending a trial on corruption charges.

Mr Imamoglu’s arrest has sparked five consecutive nights of protests across the country despite a ban on protests in Turkey’s three largest cities and a warning from Mr Erdogan that authorities would not tolerate “street terror”.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Istanbul on Friday and Saturday evenings, with large demonstrations in other cities, notably Ankara and Izmir.

Rallies took place in at least 55 of Turkey’s 81 provinces, or more than two-thirds of the country, according to an AFP tally.

Over 340 protesters were also arrested on Friday night.

Video footage shows police using pepper spray at protesters in Istanbul, who have been pictured launching fireworks at officers.

Riot police have also used rubber bullets and percussion grenades on protesters in Istanbul, as well water cannons in Ankara.

The unrest marks the largest demonstrations since the 2013 Gezi protests.

Thousands have taken to the streets in Turkey in the worst protests in over a decade, following the arrest of the President’s main rival. Picture: AFP

A person stands in front of Turkish anti-riot police officers during a rally in support of Istanbul's arrested mayor in Istanbul Municipality, on March 23, 2025. Picture: Kemal Aslan/AFP

Addressing vast crowds of tens of thousands of protesters who gathered outside City Hall for a fifth straight evening, Mr Imamoglu’s wife warned authorities they would face a reckoning.

“He will defeat you! … you will lose!” Dilek Kaya Imamoglu shouted from the platform.

“The injustice Ekrem faced … it struck a chord with every conscience. Everyone found something of themselves and the injustices they faced in what was done to Ekrem,” she said.

Mr Imamoglu denies charges

Mr Imamoglu was arrested at dawn on Wednesday for “corruption” and “supporting a terrorist organisation” due to an electoral agreement between the CHP and a pro-Kurdish party the authorities accuse of having links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Ekrem Imamoglu was formally arrested and charged on Sunday. Picture: Ozan Kose/AFP

The pre-trial detention order, obtained by AFP on Sunday, states that “Ekrem Imamoglu is being detained for establishing and leading a criminal organisation; accepting bribes; corruption; illegally recording personal data; and rigging tenders”.

The order went on to say that “although there is a strong suspicion of guilt for the crime of supporting an armed terrorist organisation, it is not necessary at this stage” to order his detention on these potential charges “since it has already been decided to imprison him for financial crimes”.

A protester wears a gas mask as other hold Turkish flags. Picture: Yasin Akgul/AFP

Turkish anti-riot police officers use pepper spray to disperse protesters. Picture: Yasin Akgul/AFP

Some 90 other people were arrested on Wednesday, including two district mayors of Istanbul, one for “corruption” and the other for “terrorism”.

Although the court decided against formalising his arrest in a separate “terror” probe, the interior ministry said he had been “suspended from office”.

On Saturday, Mr Imamoglu denied the charges against him, calling the allegations “immoral and baseless”.

“This process has not only harmed Türkiye’s international reputation but has also shattered the public’s sense of justice and trust in the economy,” he said in a statement released by City Hall.

A protester sits with a book about Turkish President in front of Turkish anti-riot police officers. Picture: Yasin Akgul/AFP

Protesters fire fireworks at police during clashes in front of Istanbul's famous Aquaduct on March 23, 2025 in Istanbul. Picture: Chris McGrath/Getty

15 million people vote in long-planned primaries

After Mr Imamoglu’s arrest, the CHP party held a long-planned primary to elect the mayor as its candidate in the 2028 presidential election.

Opening the ballot beyond its 1.7 million members to anyone who wanted to vote, they said in the end they had registered 15 million votes for Mr Imamoglu.

“Out of a total of 15 million votes, 13,211,000 (not-party members) are solidarity votes,” they added.

Casting her ballot early on Sunday, Dilek Kaya Imamoglu urged the country to show its support for her husband.

“We are casting our vote to support President Ekrem — for democracy, justice and the future,” she wrote on X, vowing to “never give up”.

Earlier, she met him briefly at the court with CHP leader Ozgur Ozel, who said the mayor was in good spirits.

“He said this process had led to a great awakening for Turkey, which he was happy about,” said Mr Ozel.

Leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel casts his ballot during the presidential primaries. Picture: Yasin Akgul/AFP

X blocks Turkey’s call to close over 700 accounts

As protests play out, Turkey’s authorities issued court orders for the closure of over 700 accounts on X targeting “news organisations, journalists, political figures, students, and others within Turkiye”, the online platform said.

However, the move was blocked by the social media platform, which stated on Sunday it would “always defend freedom of speech everywhere we operate”.

“Providing a platform committed to defending everyone’s right to free speech is paramount at X, and we believe this decision from the Turkish government is not only unlawful, it hinders millions of Turkish users from news and political discourse in their country,” a statement posted on X’s Global Government Affairs account.

“We look forward to defending these principles through the legal system.”

Turkey has been rocked by five nights of protests. Picture: Kemal Aslan/AFP

France condemns Mr Imamoglu’s arrest

France’s foreign ministry on Sunday denounced Turkey’s jailing of Mr Imamoglu.

The jailing of Ekrem Imamoglu, the suspended mayor of Istanbul, and other political figures “constitutes a serious attack on democracy”, a spokesman for France’s foreign ministry said Sunday.

Noting that Turkey had said it would protect the rights of opposition politicians, the spokesman added: “The respect of these commitments is a central element of our relations as well as relations between Turkey and the European Union.”

In Turkey, many people have also expressed anger over the move against a mayor whom they had elected.

“They have literally stolen our vote. It brings tears to my eyes,” 70-year-old Sukru Ilker told AFP.

Ayten Oktay, a 63-year-old pharmacist, said there was no going back.

“Now the Turkish nation has woken up. The protests will definitely continue after this. We will defend our rights until the end,” she said.

Originally published as ‘He will defeat you’: Protests break out in Turkey after president’s main rival arrested