Ongoing anger in Turkey after month of protests

Turkey is still witnessing escalating political and social tensions, reflected in a wave of youth-led protests, despite the passage of a month since the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19. This comes amid President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s attempts to contain the unrest.

Imamoglu’s arrest, one of Erdogan’s most prominent rivals, sparked massive protests in Istanbul and other cities. The demonstrations peaked during the first week, when tens of thousands gathered daily in front of the municipality building. However, the Ramadan celebrations temporarily eased the tensions before protests resumed recently with renewed momentum.

The protests have spread to universities in Istanbul and Ankara, and in recent days have reached dozens of high schools across the country, following a controversial decision by the Turkish authorities to replace a number of teachers.

This decision was interpreted as an attempt to gain control over educational institutions, fueling growing youth anger toward the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

In this context, Demet Lukuslu, a sociology professor at Yeditepe University in Istanbul, told AFP that "the frustration among young people was previously hidden, but has now taken shape in their clear rejection of conservatism and the Islamization of society." She noted that the protests express clear demands for freedoms and rights.

Imamoglu, who won the 2019 elections and was re-elected in 2024, was detained at his home on charges the authorities claimed were related to “corruption” and “terrorism”, widely seen as a politically motivated move to settle scores ahead of the upcoming presidential elections.

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