Turkish Opposition

Widespread protests began throughout Turkey on 19 March 2025 following the detention and arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and more than 100 other opposition members and protesters by Turkish authorities. The gatherings represented significant public opposition to what participants characterized as politically motivated legal actions against İmamoğlu, who was the primary opposition candidate for the 2028 Turkish presidential election and incumbent Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's main political rival. The protests have been characterized as the nation's largest since the so-called Gezi Park protests in 2013.