2025 Turkish protests
Widespread protests began throughout Turkey on 19 March 2025 following the detention and arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and more than 100 other opposition members and protesters by Turkish authorities. The gatherings represented significant public opposition to what participants characterized as politically motivated legal actions against İmamoğlu, who was the primary opposition candidate for the 2028 Turkish presidential election and incumbent Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's main political rival. The protests have been characterized as the nation's largest since the so-called Gezi Park protests in 2013.
The demonstrations have been supported by the CHP and many other political parties, organizations, and associations. Hundreds of thousands of people are protesting in almost all of Turkey's cities, with the biggest crowd being in front of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's headquarters. University students are playing a major role in these protests.
The protesters represent a broad ideological spectrum, including both right and left-wing individuals. In this context, symbols of the Republic—particularly Atatürk—are frequently used as a unifying framework and symbolic point of reference throughout the demonstrations.
The protests are occurring in the context of an economic crisis. The Turkish lira's value to the U.S. dollar fell by 16.3% in the three days following İmamoğlu's arrest.
Background
, a 54-year-old politician from the Republican People's Party, had served as Mayor of Istanbul since 2019. İmamoğlu had achieved notable electoral victories against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's allies in both the 2019 and 2024 municipal elections, during which the CHP secured control of most major Turkish cities. These victories were widely interpreted as significant challenges to Erdogan's political dominance.In the months preceding his detention, İmamoğlu had intensified his criticism of the Erdogan administration, resulting in multiple legal actions against him. On 19 March 2025, Turkish authorities detained İmamoğlu on allegations that included corruption and providing assistance to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, an organization designated as terrorist by Turkey and its Western allies. About 100 journalists and business figures, including his political advisor Murat Ongun, were also accused of alleged criminal activities connected to municipal contracts. Charges included leading a criminal organization, accepting bribes, and manipulating tender processes. Istanbul University revoked İmamoğlu's academic degree, which would disqualify him from participating in future presidential elections if upheld. The reason given was irregularities after transferring from a private university.
Protests
19 March
CHP leader Özgür Özel characterized the detention as "a coup against our next president" and urged opposition groups to unify. Within hours of the mayor's detention, a hundred demonstrators assembled near Istanbul's central police headquarters, where İmamoğlu had been transported. Protesters expressed support for the mayor while chanting anti-government and anti-Erdoğan slogans. Demonstrators characterized the detention as an attack on democratic processes and institutions, with some describing it as "a coup against İmamoğlu", emphasizing that İmamoğlu had "beat Erdoğan four times at the ballot box" through legitimate democratic processes. Protesters expressed their belief the detention would strengthen public support for İmamoğlu, with many anticipating the arrest and vowing to continue demonstrations until the decision was reversed. Municipal workers participated in the demonstrations. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered around the municipal offices of Istanbul, with Özel urging them to continue support for İmamoğlu while referring to him as "future president of Turkey". Dilek İmamoğlu, Ekrem İmamoğlu's wife, urged supporters to "raise their voices", stating that: "The day the government decides its opponents is the day democracy dies."The Istanbul Governor's Office responded by prohibiting public gatherings in the city, deploying security forces to establish barricades around the police facility. Riot police units and water cannon vehicles were positioned to block roads leading to the headquarters. Despite this, thousands of protesters demonstrated outside city hall, with many shouting slogans such as "Imamoglu, you are not alone!" and "Erdogan, dictator!". Clashes between police and protesters were recorded by witnesses, including an instance of police using pepper spray on a crowd protesting outside Istanbul University. Police barricaded and blocked roads that led to the Vatan Security Department, where İmamoğlu was detained. Banners with Ekrem İmamoğlu's pictures and a quote by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk: "Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation," were unfurled in front of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality building.
Hundreds of protesters in Ankara gathered around the headquarters of the CHP to protest along with CHP lawmakers. CHP representatives attempted to impede the legal proceedings in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, before marching out in protest. Middle East Technical University students marched on campus demanding the resignation of the government. Afterwards many attempted to move to Kızılay, but were stopped by barricades and police on Eskişehir Road, who pepper sprayed them. Mayor of Ankara Mansur Yavaş stated that he would travel to Istanbul to provide support for İmamoğlu and the tens of thousands of protesters. Significant demonstrations were reported in Adana, Trabzon, and İzmir. In Dublin, Ireland, the group Democratic Türkiye Community in Ireland began demonstrations against İmamoğlu's arrest.
20 March
Mass demonstrations broke out in several major Turkish cities. Significant protests were reported in Mamak, Ankara, Bolu, Şişli, İzmir, Samsun, Manavgat, Ayvalık, Eskişehir, Mersin, Muğla, Bursa, Didim, Adana, Denizli, Trabzon, Antalya, Çorum, Konya, Sakarya, Amasya, Giresun, Rize, Kırıkkale, and Karabük. Students and faculty from 13 Turkish universities conducted demonstrations or protest marches, including those of Istanbul University. Police intervened against the protests of Mersin, Galatasaray, Dokuz Eylül, Ankara, and Kocaeli Universities, with pepper spray, barricades, and force. The nose of a protester was broken after it was kicked by a police officer, while others were detained.The Tandoğan campus of Ankara University was surrounded with police barricades, with several students being prohibited from entering while the rest required ID access to enter. Resistance from students inside the campus led to several prohibited students being able to enter, and protesters marching on campus against the government. Following the march, the students were prohibited from leaving the campus, with attempts to take down the barricades being met with pepper spray and beatings from police. METU students started a protest march from Dormitory 5, shouting anti-government slogans. Students from Bilkent University and Hacettepe University joined the march by taking down police barricades at the METU A1 Gate. Despite the police using plastic bullets, pepper spray, and tear gas, the march continued.
A mass demonstration took place outside the Embassy of Turkey in London, with members of the Workers' Party of Turkey and the Turkish Kurdish Community Solidarity Center unravelling banners protesting the restrictive acts of the Turkish government. In Germany, mass demonstrations conducted by the Turkish diaspora were reported in Berlin and Stuttgart, calling upon European states to enact greater action against the Turkish government crackdowns.
Interior Minister of Turkey Ali Yerlikaya reported that over 18.6 million social media posts concerning the arrests of opposition figures appeared online by 6 a.m. on 20 March.
21 March
Protests intensified in many cities including Istanbul, İzmir and Ankara, while spreading to Konya, Niğde, Trabzon, and Adana.22 March
The continuation of İmamoğlu's detention further fueled anti-government mobilizations. The protests were driven by opposition parties, labor unions, civil rights groups, and other citizens, expressing their dissatisfaction with what they considered authoritarian actions by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government. These protests had been building, but 22 March marked their peak, with demonstrators demanding İmamoğlu's release and calling for an end to government measures they deemed undemocratic.File:Beyazıt Meydanı.jpg|alt=Protests by university students in front of Beyazıt Square in Istanbul, in front of a Istanbul University Gate with protesters waving several banners with Turkish flags and protest statements|left|thumb|Protests by university students in front of Beyazıt Square in Istanbul
Istanbul became the epicenter of large-scale protests, with gatherings erupting in districts such as Saraçhane, Beşiktaş, Kadıköy, and Şişli. However, Taksim Square, a historically significant site, was blockaded by heavy police presence, preventing demonstrations there. Despite this, protesters in other areas carried banners and chanted slogans like "Susma, sustukça, sıra sana gelecek!", "Hükümet istifa!", and "Hak, hukuk, adalet!", while others participated by banging pots and pans from their balconies, reminiscent of the 2013 Gezi Park protests Riot police, reinforced by armored vehicles and TOMA water cannon trucks, took up defensive positions in the city.
Despite the largely peaceful nature of the protests, tensions escalated when security forces attempted to disperse the crowds, citing concerns over illegal gatherings and public disorder. The police response was forceful, deploying tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons against protesters who refused to leave. Violent clashes broke out in Bozdoğan Kemeri, where thousands had gathered in defiance of government warnings. Many responded by throwing plastic bottles, chanting slogans, and waving opposition party flags, particularly those of the CHP. In İzmir, videos circulated of police beating up protestors and detaining them while they shouted for help.
Elsewhere in the country, demonstrations took place in Ankara, where crowds and CHP representatives attempted to march to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey to demand justice. Police barricaded major roads, preventing demonstrators from reaching the parliament building, which had been heavily fortified with additional riot units. In İzmir, thousands flooded Lozan Square to begin a march to Alsancak, disregarding the five-day demonstration ban set in place by the Governor of İzmir, waving Turkish flags and chanting pro-democracy slogans.
As the protests intensified, the Turkish Interior Ministry announced that 343 individuals had been detained during overnight clashes. The ministry claimed security forces acted in accordance with public order laws, arguing some demonstrators engaged in "provocative and violent behavior". However, opposition leaders and human rights organizations accused the government of excessive force, noting many arrested were peaceful protesters exercising their constitutional right to free assembly. Forty-one protesters were detained in Ankara's Güvenpark and in an "anti-terror" operation, while 31 others had arrest warrants issued. Of 22 student protesters detained, seven female students were forcibly strip-searched.
The Istanbul Governor's Office announced that entering and leaving Istanbul was restricted, saying that "Individuals, groups and vehicles from the districts of our province or neighboring provinces, who are likely to join illegal actions individually or collectively by using the route of our province, will not be allowed to enter or leave our province".