Turkey: Dozens of people arrested for their posts on social networks
Protests are growing in Turkey against the arrest of President ErdoÄźan's most promising rival. The authorities are cracking down on criticism.
(Image: hasan kurt/Shutterstock.com)
Turkish authorities have arrested dozens of people since Wednesday for criticizing the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Ä°mamoÄźlu on social networks. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya explained this on the short message service X and added that the authorities had even identified 261 accounts that were used to spread "provocative" content. The minister added that efforts to bring those responsible to justice would continue. Nevertheless, there were also massive protests against the authorities' actions on Thursday.
Criticism from home and abroad
Istanbul's mayor was detained on Wednesday, a few days before his candidacy for the next presidential elections was to be announced. Ä°mamoÄźlu is considered to be the most promising opponent for head of state Recep Tayyip ErdoÄźan. The Turkish judiciary accuses him of being a member of a criminal organization and corruption, among other things. His party speaks of a "civil coup" with which ErdoÄźan's government wants to eliminate a political opponent. The arrest was also criticized internationally. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called it a "very, very bad sign".
In the wake of the arrest of Ä°mamoÄźlu and numerous other people from politics and the Istanbul administration, access to various internet platforms was also severely restricted in Turkey. Social networks were also difficult to use in some cases on Thursday. Meanwhile, large protests broke out again across the country, with police sometimes using tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators. Meanwhile, Ä°mamoÄźlu is still in custody at an Istanbul police station and underwent a health examination in the evening, reports the dpa news agency.
(mho)