Turkey detained 37 people accused of “provocative” social media posts over the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the government said on March 20 seeking to quell protests.
Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, was taken on March 19 on charges including graft and aiding a terrorist group, a move the main opposition party condemned as a “coup attempt against the next president”.
Thousands of protesters have taken to streets and university campuses in various cities including Istanbul and the capital Ankara, with crowds chanting anti-government slogans, despite a four-day ban on gatherings imposed after Imamoglu’s arrest.
Turkish authorities identified 261 social media accounts, including 62 based abroad, for “provocative posts inciting crime and hatred” following the detention of Imamoglu and 105 others, and were continuing efforts to track down the remaining suspects, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X.
The minister added that 18.6 million posts about Imamoglu were shared on X within 24 hours of his detention. The popular 54-year-old leads Erdogan in some opinion polls.
As well as the ban on demonstrations, authorities closed several roads and restricted access to some social media.
“They hastily detained our mayor, whom we elected with our votes,” said Ali Izar, an opposition supporter on his way to work in central Istanbul. “I do not think this is a democratic practice, and I condemn it.”
Turkey also seized a construction company co-owned by Imamoglu, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s office said.
The prosecutor’s office said control of Imamoglu Construction, Trade and Industry was taken over by a court, based on financial crime investigation reports.
Istanbul municipality staff made up the bulk of the 105 people arrested along with Imamoglu.
“The people will give their response again,” said another Imamoglu supporter, Yusuf Demirci, 34, in Istanbul. “As you saw yesterday, everyone is on the streets. Everyone is in the squares. The squares and the ballot box will be the result of this. I say, the righteous one will win.”
