Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that a total of 1,133 people have been detained over the past five days and warned that “street terrorism and any threat to the peace and security of our nation will not be tolerated.”

Citing the country’s Constitution, the Turkish Interior Minister claimed that the recent protests “abused the right to demonstrate.” He accused protesters of attempting to “disrupt public order, incite unrest, and attack our police forces.”

“Such actions aim to undermine the peace and security of our people,” he stressed, adding sternly: “We issue a clear warning: No one should attempt to use our youth and our people as a shield for their political ambitions.”

İmamoğlu Runs for President Despite Arrest
At the same time, Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), officially announced the candidacy of Ekrem İmamoğlu for the 2028 presidential election – despite his arrest.

The decision followed a symbolic vote held on Sunday, with the CHP leader stating that nearly 15 million citizens took part. However, many questions remain unresolved regarding İmamoğlu.

İmamoğlu is currently in prison after being formally arrested and charged with corruption. He denies the charges and attributes them to political motivations.

Additionally, Istanbul University has announced the revocation of his diploma due to alleged irregularities. If the decision is upheld, it could cast doubt on his eligibility to run for president, as the Turkish Constitution requires presidential candidates to have completed higher education. İmamoğlu’s lawyers have stated they will appeal the decision.