It is the last day of the manifestations organized by CHP party, main opposition force to the government of the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, To protest against the Istanbular Istando Istandaco Istanbul Imamoglu. People made their solidarity felt to the mayor responding en masse to the opposition appeal and filling the square of Sarachane for the sixth consecutive day, in front of the municipality of Istanbul, but also of the capital Ankara and Smyrne.
A gathering to which Erdogan responded at a distance. The Turkish leader reiterated that “the roads of Türkiye will not end up in the hands of terrorists” and launched a warning to the Republican opposition party: “You have slipped into a dead end”. Words with threatening tones that do not seem to intimidate the tens of thousands of people harassed from Secretary of the Ozgur Ozel party.
The latter visited Imamoglu in prison, brought to the square the greetings and thanks of the mayor and recalled the 8 journalists arrested and asked to boycott a series of companies, shopping centers, catering chains and two printing agencies considered close to the government. The sixth consecutive gathering in front of the Municipality was preceded by the march of thousands of students who took to the street again to protest against the government.
A colorful serpentone of young people from different universities who have in dressed and slogans against Erdogan under the eyes of the police who did not intervene. Not only the students, many academics have collected the appeal of the Egyptim-Sen union and have joined a strike. The judiciary, in response, has opened a procedure against the same union.
In the last 48 hours the clashes have decreased. Despite the prefect’s decision to extend the prohibition of gatherings, events and parades the response of the people has been vehement until 29 March. At the same time, the police reaction was, fortunately, limited to the repression of clashes and the control of the rallies rather than the dispersion of these. A circumstance that has contributed in the last two groups to lower the level of comparison and clash, so but also the number of arrests.
The Minister of the Interior has announced that From the beginning of the protests 1,418 demonstrators have been arrested (1280 of which in the first 3 days). Today the public prosecutor asked to maintain prison prison for 206 of arrested; For 92 of these, detention was triggered. Among the prisoners are 8 journalists who were doing their work on the field by the squares theater of clashes.
Wednesday is the day when the Ministry of the Interior will communicate the name of the regent, it is not yet known if a commissioner, who will take the place of Imamoglu. For him, formally, it is the last day as mayor. A delicate moment, yet another of these days, which could translate into a new wave of anger and protest.