Information
Jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu announced on Friday that his lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, had been detained on what he described as “fictitious grounds.” Pehlivan had represented Imamoglu in court on corruption charges just days earlier. Imamoglu, a key opposition figure to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested last week ahead of an expected presidential bid announcement, sparking Turkey’s largest anti-government protests in a decade. Since then, authorities have arrested nearly 1,900 people, including demonstrators and journalists. The Turkish government has also cracked down on media coverage of the protests, detaining reporters and imposing fines and broadcasting bans on major news channels. BBC journalist Mark Lowen was deported, and SZC TV was ordered to halt broadcasting for ten days.
Despite the crackdown, protests have continued across Turkey, with fresh demonstrations taking place overnight into Friday. The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has called for sustained protests, though Erdogan has dismissed them as a “show” and warned of legal repercussions. While most demonstrations have remained peaceful, police have used force—including water cannons, tear gas, and plastic pellets—to disperse banned gatherings in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. Student protesters have also been rounded up by police. The situation remains tense as the government escalates efforts to suppress dissent, drawing criticism from international human rights organisations and the European Union, though no formal actions have been taken against Turkey yet.
Source: AFP, Reuters
So what
It seems unlikely that the Turkish government will be able to legitimise this arrest as anything more than intimidation. While it is likely he will be realised soon, his detention was likely an attempt to scare him off. Additionally, it is possible that it could encourage the protesters to carry on as the government almost certainly tried to get this squared away quickly and quietly. Regardless, it is highly unlikely that Erdogan will show any remorse for these protesters and will use whatever force is needed to end them.
Follow us to join the intelligence community!