Overview

• Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure, was arrested on March 19 on corruption charges, disrupting his expected presidential candidacy for the CHP.
• The arrest triggered weeks of nationwide protests, with hundreds of thousands demonstrating against what many view as political repression under President Erdogan.
• On April 18, trials began at Istanbul’s Çaglayan Palace of Justice for 99 students and 8 journalists accused of participating in peaceful demonstrations.
• Families, union members, and activists gathered outside the courthouse to show solidarity with those on trial, highlighting growing tensions over democratic freedoms in Turkey.
• This crackdown has drawn international condemnation and raised concerns over the erosion of democratic norms ahead of Turkey’s upcoming elections.