Turkey has apprehended 37 individuals accused of making “provocative” social media posts in response to the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, as announced by the government on Thursday, in an effort to suppress protests.
Imamoglu, who is the primary political adversary of President Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested on Wednesday on charges that include corruption and supporting a terrorist organization. The main opposition party has denounced this action as a “coup attempt against the next president.”
In various cities, including Istanbul and the capital Ankara, thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets and university campuses, chanting anti-government slogans, despite a four-day prohibition on gatherings that was enacted following Imamoglu’s arrest.
Turkish authorities have identified 261 social media accounts, including 62 located overseas, for making “provocative posts that incite crime and hatred” in the wake of Imamoglu’s detention and that of 105 others. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated on X that efforts to locate the remaining suspects are ongoing.
The minister also noted that within 24 hours of Imamoglu’s arrest, 18.6 million posts related to him were shared on X. The popular 54-year-old is leading in some opinion polls against Erdogan.
In addition to the ban on protests, authorities have closed several roads and imposed restrictions on certain social media platforms.
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“They quickly detained our mayor, whom we elected with our votes,” remarked Ali Izar, an opposition supporter commuting in central Istanbul. “I do not consider this a democratic action, and I condemn it.”
Furthermore, Turkey has seized a construction company co-owned by Imamoglu, according to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s office.
The prosecutor’s office indicated that control of Imamoglu Construction, Trade and Industry was transferred to a court based on reports from a financial crime investigation.
Most of the 105 individuals arrested alongside Imamoglu were employees of the Istanbul municipality.
Another supporter of Imamoglu, Yusuf Demirci, 34, from Istanbul, stated, “The people will express their opinions once more. As you witnessed yesterday, the streets are filled with people. Everyone is gathering in the squares. The outcome will be determined by the squares and the ballot box. I believe that justice will prevail.”
