Turkey has arrested 1,418 people since protests broke out on March 19 over the arrest of Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the number on X, calling the demonstrations “illegal.” The protests, now entering their second week, have swept across major cities including Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.
Imamoglu, widely seen as President Erdogan’s top political rival, claims the corruption charges against him are politically driven—an accusation Erdogan denies.
On Sunday, the opposition CHP party officially named Imamoglu as its presidential candidate for the 2028 elections. The party has said the protests will end Tuesday but hasn’t revealed what comes next.
Tensions remain high as calls grow for Imamoglu’s release and concerns rise over the government’s crackdown on dissent.
