Turkey's assembly bans fail to quell mayoral protest wave
The assembly ban announced on Wednesday in Istanbul has been extended to the provinces of Ankara and Izmir. Despite the bans, protests against the detention of Istanbul's opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, continue.
- Assembly ban has been announced in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir.
- In Istanbul, protests are taking place despite the ban — thousands of people are demonstrating there against the detention of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
- In many places, clashes with the police occurred, with officers using tear gas and water cannons.
According to the Hurriyet Daily News portal, protests are likely to continue at least until March 23, when the main opposition Republican People's Party is set to hold primaries and put forward Imamoglu as a candidate for the country's presidency. When he was detained on Wednesday, the Istanbul governor's office announced a four-day ban on assemblies to prevent "provocative" actions. Despite the ban, thousands took part in protests on Wednesday and Thursday.
The decision of the Istanbul governor was joined by the provinces of Ankara and Izmir. The demonstration ban is to be in effect there from Friday afternoon until the end of March 25. On the night from Thursday to Friday, 53 people were detained, reported Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
Large-scale protests. Protesters clashed with the police
Tensions escalated during demonstrations in Istanbul when protesters attempted to march to Taksim Square. The police blocked their way and also used tear gas.
Demonstrations, including those with student participation, also took place in other regions of Turkey, including Ankara and Izmir in the west of the country. Intense clashes occurred at the Polytechnic in Ankara. The police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Students reported that rubber bullets were also used, a claim which authorities deny.
According to the independent service Bianet, as of Friday, there are no longer any restrictions on social media access in Turkey, which had been in place for over 40 hours.
