Turkey's culture scene fears repression amid protests

In Turkey, anger remains alive almost a week after the imprisonment of Ekrem Imamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul and main opponent of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Republican People's Party (CPC), the opposition's party, calls for a very broad rally on Saturday, 29 March in Istanbul in support of the imprisoned mayor. But among its supporters, some fear a break in the movement in the coming days.

The EU Commission and the Council do not want to draw any conclusions from the arrest of Istanbul's mayor İmamoğlu. They also refer to the geopolitical situation.

Turkey's culture scene fears repression amid protests

Massive protests continue in Turkey following the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. But amid growing concerns for democracy, the cultural sector has struggled to speak out.

In Turkey's Dark Times, Protesters Are A Democratic Light

Analysis-ISTANBUL — Ekrem İmamoğlu is the mayor of Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city. He received the majority of votes in the 2019 local elections twice — after the results of the March 31 election were canceled and a second election for mayor of Istanbul was held on June 23. He became the city's first mayor from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in 25 years. İmamoğlu was then reelected in the 2024 local elections, and the CHP became…

Incarcerated mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Turkey's main rival, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had announced the arrest of his council, Mehmet Pehlivan, earlier in the day.

The Turkish authorities are stepping up repression in an attempt to quell the protests triggered on 19 March by the incarceration of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, making hundreds of arrests of demonstrators, journalists and lawyers.