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** SPOTLIGHT
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Police officers use pepper spray on a demonstrator wearing dervish clothes, Istanbul, Turkiye, 23 March, 2025. Photo: Umit Bektas / Reuters

The push for democracy in Türkiye continues

Today, the streets of Istanbul and other main cities in Türkiye are relatively calm after weeks of mass protests.

But that doesn’t mean the protests are over. People in Türkiye continue to express their frustration – most recently through economic boycotts ([link removed]) . What started as boycotts of government-linked businesses turned into a nation-wide call by activists and the main opposition party CHP for people to avoid buying anything on 2 April – including online. Some shopkeepers showed their support by closing their doors for a day, and musicians ([link removed]) [link removed] to perform in the country cancelled their concerts in solidarity. The Minister of Interior called ([link removed] ) the boycotts an ‘attempted coup against the national economy’, and at least 11 people were detained ([link removed] ) in investigations of ‘inciting the public to hatred and
enmity’ after expressing their support for the boycotts.

The biggest protests in over a decade began on 19 March following detention orders ([link removed] ) for more than 100 people, including İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was later remanded in pre-trial detention on the same day he was nominated as the CHP candidate for president in the 2028 election. So far, 819 people have been indicted ([link removed] ) in relation to having taken part in the protests, at least 278 of whom remain in pre-trial detention. Journalists ([link removed]) and civil society groups ([link removed]) documented grave instances of police brutality during the protests, including the violent assault of protesters.

The government throttled ([link removed]) social media platforms and messaging apps for 42 hours in Istanbul in the early days of the protests, and censorship is ongoing, with authorities issuing blocking orders ([link removed]) for the social media accounts of journalists, media outlets, and human rights defenders and organisations. We renew our call ([link removed]) to social media platforms to resist political pressure and refrain from restricting access to protected expression.

At this pivotal moment, the international community must call on President Erdoğan and his government to respect the right to freedom of expression and guarantee free and unfettered access to the internet – including by ceasing unlawful restrictions of online content. Turkish authorities must protect the right to peaceful assembly and ensure the safety of journalists and activists – including students, lawyers, monitoring groups, and union members – allowing them to carry out their work and to protest free from violence, threats, harassment or arbitrary detention.

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