讀後心得

The leader of Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican People's Party, Özer, stated today that they will continue to protest against President Erdoğan's detention of his main political rival, former Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu. This wave of protests, the largest in a decade, was sparked by İmamoğlu being charged with corruption on March 19. The protests have garnered support from various opposition parties, European leaders, and human rights organizations, who accuse the arrests of being politicized and anti-democratic. Although the government denies any judicial influence, Özer announced that the Republican People's Party will launch protests in various cities every weekend and will hold a rally in Istanbul on the 9th. Hundreds of thousands of people have responded; while the protests have generally been peaceful, nearly 2,000 people have been detained, with about 300 facing pre-trial imprisonment. After being elected as party leader, Özer reiterated calls for early elections, pointing out that İmamoğlu has higher public support than Erdoğan. Furthermore, the Republican People's Party has initiated a petition demanding İmamoğlu's release and early elections, which has already garnered over 7 million signatures of support.

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

According to reports, İmamoğlu, a member of the Republican People's Party, was detained on March 19 on corruption charges, prompting widespread protests. Many demonstrators, various opposition parties, and international human rights organizations have expressed support for İmamoğlu, arguing that the arrest is politically motivated and violates democratic principles. The Erdoğan government emphasizes that it will not interfere with the judiciary and states that the courts are independent.

Today, Özer was re-elected as the party leader at an emergency party congress. He stated that the Republican People's Party will hold protest actions every weekend in different cities and plans to hold rallies in various areas of Istanbul on the night of the 9th. Since İmamoğlu's detention, the Republican People's Party has held large gatherings every night in front of the Istanbul City Hall, and last weekend conducted a massive demonstration in the Maltepe district. Hundreds of thousands of people, including university students from across the country, have responded to the protests, which have largely been peaceful; however, nearly 2,000 people have been detained, with about 300 incarcerated pre-trial.

After being re-elected as party chairman, Özer gave a speech near the emergency party congress in Ankara, reiterating the call for early elections. Turkey is currently scheduled to hold presidential elections in 2028, and if the parliament approves early elections, Erdoğan could run without term limits. Some polls show İmamoğlu with a higher approval rating than Erdoğan.

The Republican People's Party has also launched a symbolic petition drive demanding İmamoğlu's release and calling for early elections. Özer stated that this petition has garnered over 7 million signatures. Additionally, the Republican People's Party conducted an internal vote on March 23, with İmamoğlu receiving support from nearly 15 million people, making him the party's presidential candidate.