Overview
- Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul's ousted mayor and opposition leader, remains in detention on contested corruption and terrorism charges.
- Protests against his arrest, now the largest since 2013, continue across Turkey, with over 1,800 people detained as police crack down on demonstrations.
- The CHP has formally nominated İmamoğlu as its 2028 presidential candidate and plans a major rally in Istanbul on March 29 to demand his release.
- The Turkish government has imposed a 10-day broadcast ban on opposition-linked Sözcü TV and expelled a BBC journalist covering the protests.
- Economic frustrations and political repression are fueling discontent, with youth-led movements organizing protests despite bans and police violence.