Turkey Opposition Calls for Mass Protest Against Erdogan's Crackdown

Detention of Journalists

• 📸 Yasin Akgul, an AFP photographer with over 10 years of experience in Turkey, has been detained, which is deemed completely unacceptable.
• 🚨 He was performing his professional duties covering ongoing protests and has filed over 180 photos for AFP clients globally.
• 📢 His immediate release is demanded as he was simply doing his job.

Political Crackdown and Opposition Response

• ⚖️ Turkish authorities have detained nearly 1,418 people amidst protests against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges, which critics label as politically motivated.
• 🗣️ Opposition CHP leader Ozgur Ozel visited Imamoglu and two other jailed mayors, calling their imprisonment a "shame" for Turkey's leadership.
• 🗓️ A mass rally is announced for March 30 in Istanbul to demand open trials and early elections.

Erdogan's Stance and International Concern

• 📢 President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed the protests as "street terror" and stated he would not be "fooled by cheap politics."
• 📣 Thousands of students in Istanbul marched, chanting for the government's resignation.
• 🇺🇸 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concerns over the arrests to Turkey's foreign minister, with Washington monitoring the escalating unrest.