Two Turkish courts in İstanbul and central Kayseri province have ruled for the release of 63 more young demonstrators who had been put in pretrial detention for participating in protests sparked by last month’s arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Birgün daily reported on Friday.
İmamoğlu, widely seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s strongest political rival, was arrested on March 23 on corruption charges, which many critics view as politically motivated. His detention on March 19 ignited widespread protests, the largest in Turkey since 2013, escalating political tensions.
Nearly 2,000 people, including university students, were detained during Turkey’s most widespread unrest in more than a decade, with more than 270 formally arrested. A statement from the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office revealed on Tuesday that criminal charges have been filed against 819 people as part of 20 investigations launched in response to the protests over İmamoğlu’s arrest.
Among the 829 suspects identified in the investigations, 819 have now been charged in criminal courts. Of those, 278 remain in pretrial detention, the prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.
They are charged with violating Turkey’s law on public meetings and demonstrations.
The İstanbul 62nd Criminal Court of First Instance on Friday ruled for the release of 59 people. Agence France-Presse reported, citing a ruling made public by the lawyers of several of those detained, that the court explained its decision by pointing to the “risk of interruption of their studies” for the student accused.
Aşkın Genç, an MP from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), also announced the release of four university students in Kayseri province.
“They’re now back with their families, reunited with their friends, and ready to resume their school lives. Get well soon, kids — we’re always here for you,” Genç said.
Kayseri’de tutuklu bulunan 4 üniversiteli gencimiz, şimdi özgürlüklerine kavuştu. Artık ailelerinin yanındalar, arkadaşlarına kavuştular, okul hayatlarına kaldıkları yerden devam edecekler. Geçmiş olsun çocuklar, biz hep yanınızdayız. https://t.co/mXHpyo1Tem
— Aşkın Genç (@gencaskn) April 11, 2025
Their release follows that on Thursday of 107 others who took part in rallies against the jailing of İmamoğlu.
Many say the arrest of İmamoğlu is politically motivated to sideline the mayor ahead of the next presidential election slated for 2028.
In response to unrest following the mayor’s arrest, Turkey’s authorities had temporarily issued a ban on demonstrations in İstanbul, the capital of Ankara and the coastal city of İzmir.
After the end-of-Ramadan festivities and the closure of universities briefly interrupted the demonstrations, protesters once again took to the streets of İstanbul and Ankara this week, although in fewer numbers.
The CHP, which elected İmamoğlu as their presidential candidate, has called for its supporters to turn out each weekend across the country. It has notably called for a rally on Sunday in the key port city of Samsun on the Black Sea.
In addition to sparking large protests, the mayor’s arrest has attracted widespread condemnation from Europe, the UN and other international organizations.