Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is facing strong backlash from opposition lawmakers after broadcasting clips of violent protests in Georgia while claiming the scenes showed anti-government demonstrations in İstanbul, in what critics say was a deliberate attempt to smear peaceful protesters as violent.
During a parliamentary group meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Wednesday, Erdoğan aired a five-minute video that included footage of Molotov cocktails and attacks on police, which he described as scenes from recent protests in İstanbul’s Saraçhane neighborhood. It was later revealed that portions of the video, beginning around the fourth minute, were taken from violent demonstrations in Georgia, not Turkey.
The Saraçhane protests were held in response to the March 19 detention and subsequent arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was detained after announcing his bid to become the opposition candidate in primaries. The protests have drawn thousands across Turkey but have remained largely peaceful, with no documented instances of widespread violence against police.
Critics say Erdoğan used the misleading footage to portray demonstrators as extremists and justify his narrative that the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is inciting unrest. During the speech Erdoğan accused the CHP of “terrorizing the streets” and warned that those disrupting the country’s peace and economy would be held accountable in court.
CHP parliamentary group deputy chairman Murat Emir condemned the move in parliament, saying the president had “falsely labeled peaceful protesters as terrorists” by inserting unrelated scenes of violence. Emir noted that Erdoğan had previously admitted to sharing doctored footage during the 2023 presidential election campaign, when he aired a manipulated video linking CHP’s then-chairman and the opposition coalition’s presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
“We don’t believe he was misled by his advisors, he has a record of using edited videos,” Emir said. “No president should lie to his people or use fake footage to criminalize them.”
AKP Deputy Chairman Muhammet Emin Akbaşoğlu defended the video, rejecting claims of editing or deception and insisting that those attacking police and property during the recent unrest were acting as provocateurs aligned with illegal groups.
The video, which Erdoğan also shared on social media, was heavily criticized by opposition figures, who say the government is escalating its campaign to criminalize dissent.