فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Protests continue in Turkey, where more than 1,400 people have been arrested in the past six days since the start of a widespread revolt triggered by the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main rival.
Authorities announced that a total of 1,418 people have been arrested so far for participating in gatherings banned by the authorities, who are facing unprecedented protests since the Gezi Park movement in Istanbul’s Taksim Square in 2013.
An Istanbul court ordered the pre-trial detention of seven Turkish journalists, including a photographer from Agence France-Presse, accused of participating in illegal gatherings.
The AFP photographer, Yasin Akgül, argued during his detention that he was only covering the demonstration he is accused of participating in in Istanbul.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned a “scandalous decision (that) reflects a very serious situation in Turkey.”1
In total, 979 demonstrators were in custody, while 478 people had been brought before the courts, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced.
“Head Held High”
Faced with ongoing protests, the Ankara governorate extended a ban on demonstrations until April 1.2 Authorities took a similar decision in Izmir, the country’s third-largest city and opposition stronghold, until March 29.
A similar ban has been in effect for six days in Istanbul, where tens of thousands of people once again defied it on Monday evening to converge in front of the municipality headquarters.3 Police violently dispersed the demonstrators around midnight, according to an AFP journalist.4
Özgür Özel, the leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP, social democrat), the main opposition force to which the imprisoned Istanbul mayor belongs, called for a new gathering on Tuesday evening.
As a sign of the shockwave triggered by Imamoglu’s arrest for “corruption,” demonstrations took place last week in at least 55 of the country’s 81 provinces, according to an AFP count.
Özel, who called on Monday evening to stand up to “fascism,” went to Silivri prison on the outskirts of Istanbul on Tuesday morning, where the city’s mayor and 48 co-accused, including two district mayors also members of the CHP, have been detained since Sunday.
“I met three lions inside. They are standing, head held high (…), like lions,” he told reporters upon leaving the prison.
Boycott
The Council of Europe, which is due to discuss the situation in Turkey, denounced the “disproportionate use of force” during the demonstrations in the country and called on the authorities to respect their human rights obligations.5
On Tuesday afternoon in Istanbul, groups of students began to gather, as witnessed by AFP journalists.
On one of the campuses of Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Adanil Güzel, 19, told AFP that professors were threatening striking students. “They promise to add points to those who participate in the exams,” the economics student said.
The CHP called for a boycott of about ten Turkish brands known to be close to the government, including a famous coffee chain. “We can make coffee ourselves,” Özel said.
“Stop disturbing the peace of our citizens with your provocations,” President Erdogan said on Monday evening, addressing the opposition in a televised speech.
from: fesnews
