讀後心得

The leader of Turkey's opposition party, the Republican People's Party, Özer, stated that protests will continue to oppose President Erdoğan's detention of former Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu. This is the largest scale of protests in a decade, as İmamoğlu was arrested on corruption charges, sparking support from various parties. Özer pledged to launch protests in different cities every weekend and hold rallies in various districts of Istanbul on the 9th. The protests have been largely peaceful, but nearly 2,000 people have been detained. Özer reiterated the hope for early elections and pointed out that İmamoğlu's support rate surpasses that of Erdoğan, calling on people to participate in the petition campaign, which has already garnered over 7 million signatures.

The leader of Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican People's Party, Özer, stated today that protests will continue in response to President Erdoğan imprisoning his main political rival, former Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu. This wave of protests is the largest in Turkey in a decade and will carry on.

Reports indicate that İmamoğlu, a member of the Republican People's Party, was detained on March 19 due to corruption allegations, which immediately sparked large-scale protests. Protesters, various opposition parties, European leaders, and human rights groups have expressed solidarity with İmamoğlu, claiming that this arrest is a politicized and anti-democratic act. The Erdoğan government denies that there is political influence on the judiciary, emphasizing the independence of the courts.

Today, Özer, who was recently re-elected as party leader, announced at a temporary party congress that the Republican People's Party will conduct protests every weekend in different cities, and will hold rallies in various districts of Istanbul on the evening of the 9th. Since İmamoğlu's detention, the Republican People's Party has held large gatherings in front of the Istanbul City Hall every night, with a large-scale demonstration taking place last weekend in the Maltepe district.

The protests have attracted hundreds of thousands of Turkish citizens, including many university students. Although the protests have generally been peaceful, nearly 2000 people have been detained, with about 300 facing pre-trial detention. Özer reiterated the call for early elections during the rally in Ankara. Turkey is scheduled to hold presidential elections in 2028, and if parliament approves early elections, Erdoğan could run without term limits.

Some polls show that İmamoğlu has higher support than Erdoğan. Additionally, the Republican People's Party has launched a symbolic petition drive calling for İmamoğlu's release and urging early elections. Özer stated that this petition has garnered over 7 million signatures. The Republican People's Party also conducted internal voting on March 23, where İmamoğlu received support from nearly 15 million people, becoming the party's presidential candidate.