'Justice will be served': protesters gather in Istanbul against jailing of city mayor

Record ID: 1986443

  • Title: 'Justice will be served': protesters gather in Istanbul against jailing of city mayor
  • Date: 29th March 2025
  • Summary: BANNER READING (Turkish): "I AM HERE FOR MY GRANDCHILDREN" CROWD WAVING TURKISH FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) FORMER EMPLOYEE OF ESENYURT MUNICIPALITY, GUNAY YILDIZ, SAYING: "I am not afraid, and I will continue to resist. I call on everyone to not be afraid. The chant that says 'Don't be afraid, if you do, they will come for you too' is exactly what we are experiencing toda
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: EKREM IMAMOGLU ERDOGAN RIVAL ISTANBUL MAYOR MASS PROTESTS TAYYIP ERDOGAN TURKEY
  • Location: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
  • City: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Europe,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions,Middle East
  • Reuters ID: LVA001265129032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Istanbul on Saturday (March 29) to protest against the jailing of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's main rival, sustaining the largest demonstrations Turkey has seen in more than a decade.
    Hundreds of thousands have heeded opposition calls and taken to the streets nationwide since Imamoglu was detained last week and then jailed pending trial on graft charges. Protests have been mostly peaceful, but nearly 2,000 people have been detained.
    "I am not afraid, and I will continue to resist. I call on everyone to not be afraid," 46-year-old Gunay Yildiz told Reuters.
    A mother of two, Yildiz also added that she was fired from her job in Istanbul's Esenyurt Municipality due to her political stance after the district mayor from the opposition party was arrested back in October.
    The main opposition, the Republican People's Party (CHP), other opposition parties, rights groups and Western powers have all said the case against Imamoglu is a politicised effort to eliminate a potential electoral threat to Erdogan.
    The government denies any influence over the judiciary and says the courts are independent.
    (Production: Emilie Madi, Ben Makori)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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