Thousands protest İstanbul mayor’s detention outside city hall

They also spoke about their financial struggles, saying that "I cant make ends meet with my pension," and added, When the biggest issue in this country is the cost of living, I can’t bear to see these unlawful actions taking priority.”

Expressing skepticism about change, the protester continued, “They know thousands of us are here, but they don’t care.” However, they added, they would be on the streets until İmamoğlu is released.

İBB Saraçhane binası önünde toplanma sürüyor.

🗣️ Yurttaşlar “Hırsız sarayda, İstanbul sokakta” ve “Kurtuluş yok tek başına, ya hep beraber ya hiçbirimiz” sloganları atıyor.

📹 Video: Ümmü Gülsüm Sülün pic.twitter.com/0yzXxTBwUV

— bianet (@bianet_org) March 19, 2025

Dilek İmamoğlu: 'An attack on the will of 16 million İstanbulites'

Addressing the crowd Dilek İmamoğlu, the wife of detained İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, thanked demonstrators for their perseverance.

"On this cold day, you walked for kilometers, overcoming obstacles and barricades to be here. I sincerely thank each and every one of you," she remarked.

She urged the public to stand firm, saying, "We will never give up. I ask you all to stand with us against this grand conspiracy. We must raise our voices together. And together, we will elect this country’s next president."

İmamoğlu and the other suspects were detained as part of two separate investigations concerning terrorism and corruption charges. The mayor was poised to run in the CHP's presidential primary on Mar 23 and is widely viewed as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's most important rival for presidency. (AD/VK)

"This morning, it was not just Ekrem İmamoğlu who was detained, it was the will of 16 million Istanbulites," she said, adding, "Those detained today are the retirees who could finally afford to eat meat thanks to the city diners. The students who could continue their education because they had dormitories. The mothers who benefited from free public transportation. The impoverished, the young, the elderly...

"Today, we are all under detention. Today, the rule of law, democracy, and justice have been detained." (AD/VK)