Opposition in Turkey urges public protest in Ankara on Wednesday's schedule
In Turkey, the opposition is gearing up for a protest on Wednesday, the national holiday known as the 23rd of April. This dates back to 1920, when the first parliament was established by founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Following the arrest of popular Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu last month, the chairman of his left-nationalist CHP party, Özgür Özel, has announced he'll speak at the demonstration instead of addressing the parliament.
With a ban on assemblies in the country, Özel aims to continue the wave of protests sparked by İmamoğlu's arrest. If elected, İmamoğlu would be a formidable challenge to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Opposition politician İmamoğlu, currently imprisoned on charges of corruption, has vowed to follow the march for national sovereignty from prison. "We will not let them ban the 23rd of April! Our demonstration in front of the parliament and our march to Atatürk's mausoleum cannot be prevented," Özel declared online.
He called on the residents of Ankara, especially young people and students, to gather in front of the parliament at 17:00 (16:00 CEST) with Turkish flags.
The arrest of İmamoğlu in March 2025 was met with massive demonstrations, the largest since the Gezi protests in 2013. Since then, the Turkish government has detained numerous opposition officials, causing further tension.
While I couldn't find specific details about the planned demonstration on April 23, 2023, I can share that İmamoğlu's arrest led to significant public and political reactions, with many accusing the government of influencing the judiciary and anti-democratic actions. For detailed information about the demonstration, I recommend checking news archives from that period or contacting local news outlets.
In the context of escalating political tension, debate on the upcoming demonstration on April 23, 2023, in Turkey, had potential implications for profit in sectors like media and security, as public interest in general news, war-and-conflicts, and politics has been heightened due to the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu and subsequent protests against it. This scenario could further intensify, given the potential impact of the demonstration on the political landscape and the possibility of a formidable challenge to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan should İmamoğlu be elected.
