In a lengthy post, Ekrem Imamoglu, the former imprisoned mayor of Istanbul and now released, addressed his supporters. He characterized the participation of 15 million voters in his party’s internal elections as a democratic revolution. Speaking about a ‘wonderful situation,’ he emphasized: ‘Hope is immense. It has destroyed a bunch of bad people. Their fears have grown. They will fear us—let them fear us. We stand with our nation, representing the Turkish alliance, the values of democracy, justice, rule of law, equality, unity, and solidarity.’ Furthermore, Imamoglu urged young protesters to avoid conflicts. ‘Be kind to our security forces, our police, our people whom I deeply love. Let me see you all with smiling faces tonight. The nation is great.’ A Turkish court had previously detained Imamoglu on Sunday (23/03/25), accusing him of corruption—a move sparking the largest protests in Turkey in at least a decade. Meanwhile, over 1,100 arrests have been reported, including 10 journalists covering last night’s demonstrations against Imamoglu’s detention. The main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), calls for protests against the court decision, labeling it political and undemocratic. Despite bans on outdoor gatherings, peaceful anti-government protests continued for the fifth night. Over 1,130 demonstrators have been arrested since Wednesday (19/03/25). Demonstrations have occurred in 55 of Turkey’s 81 provinces. At least ten journalists, including an AFP photographer, were detained at their homes in Istanbul and Izmir. Today, student crowds defy bans and protest in Istanbul and Ankara to support Imamoglu, who was recently nominated as CHP’s presidential candidate for the 2028 elections.