The arrests of nine protesters for criticizing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ongoing trade with Israel on Monday sparked condemnation from opposition politicians, activists and lawyers’ bar associations, accusing the government of stifling dissent and undermining constitutional freedoms.

The arrests occurred after protesters interrupted Erdoğan’s speech on November 29, accusing the government of hypocrisy for maintaining oil shipments to Israel as well as other trade despite publicly condemning its military actions in Gaza. The protesters, chanting slogans such as “Ships are carrying bombs to Gaza” and “Stop fueling genocide,” demanded an end to exports that they argue sustain Israel’s military campaigns.

The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office charged the nine individuals under Turkey’s Law on Meetings and Demonstrations for participating in an unauthorized protest and under the Turkish Penal Code for allegedly “insulting the president.” The court ordered their detention pending trial.

The arrests have drawn sharp criticism from opposition politicians, including İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and main opposition leader Özgür Özel, chairman of the Republican People’s Party (CHP). Both condemned the government’s intolerance toward peaceful dissent, with Özel labeling the arrests “proof of the dire state of democracy in Turkey,” in posts shared on the social media platform X.

Ali Babacan, chairman of the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), also criticized the arrests of protesters calling for an end to trade with Israel on X, stating that the slogan “From the river to the sea, free Palestine” reflects the aspirations of millions and demanded the immediate release of those detained.

The Islamist opposition Felicity Party and former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu’s Future Party also denounced the detentions as unjust. In a written statement addressed to the parliament speaker, the parties argued that the arrests violated constitutional protections for freedom of expression and called for an urgent parliamentary debate to address control of the judiciary by the government.

Activists from organizations such as Filistin İçin Bin Genç Platformu (A Thousand Youth for Palestine) and Direniş Çadırı Platformu (Resistance Tent) rallied outside the Çağlayan Courthouse in İstanbul, decrying what they described as a crackdown on dissent. “This is not about [securing] justice,” said Handan Turan, mother of one of the detainees, Şeyma Yıldırım. “These young people stood for humanity and justice.”

“Is this what standing with Palestine means?” Turan said, referring to the Turkish government’s pro-Palestine rhetoric.

Allegations of hypocrisy

Critics of the government allege that Turkey has continued to send crude oil shipments to Israel despite announcing an embargo in May following Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Advocacy groups, including the Stop Fueling Genocide campaign, reported that tankers carrying Azerbaijani crude from Turkey’s Ceyhan port have docked in Israel as recently as November, citing satellite imagery and shipping data.

The campaign accused the government of enabling Israel’s military operations, as Azerbaijan’s oil accounts for 30 percent of Israel’s crude imports, with reports indicating a quadrupling of shipments this year. Opposition leaders have called on Erdoğan to align policies with his government’s pro-Palestinian rhetoric and rights experts warned of potential complicity if the International Court of Justice determines that genocide is being committed in Gaza.

Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar previously denied ongoing oil shipments to Israel, but reports from Progressive International challenge those claims, raising questions about  enforcement of the embargo.

The arrests have spotlighted broader concerns about Turkey’s democratic backslide, particularly the government’s increasing use of the judiciary to suppress dissent. The European Court of Human Rights and Turkey’s Constitutional Court have repeatedly ruled that peaceful protests and even critical speech about government policies are protected under the right to freedom of expression.

Fatih Erbican, a lawyer who represents the detained protesters, emphasized that the arrests lack legal grounds, noting that the demonstration was peaceful and well-documented. “There is no risk of evidence tampering and these individuals have no criminal records or flight risk. This decision is an outright violation of their constitutional rights,” Erbican was quoted by Turkish media as saying.

Opposition leaders, including İmamoğlu, have framed the arrests as part of a broader strategy to intimidate government critics. “These young people protested the hypocrisy in this country and are not afraid of you,” he posted online. “What are you afraid of?”

Human rights groups have called for the immediate release of the detainees and urged Turkey to uphold its commitments to international human rights standards.