Detained mayors were transferred to the hospital for inspection in a humiliating manner… Toll of Detained CHP Mayors in Turkey (as of June 5, 2025) Summary: As of June 5, 2025, Turkish authorities have detained and removed a total of 11 mayors from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), including Istanbul’s Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, … Read more
Grup Yorum has been around for so many decades that it was another shameful censorship by Turkish authorities. We all know that it has affiliations to an outlawed armed revolutionary organization, but that organization is not even active nowadays. And audiences for the band are definitely beyond that group. I find this censorship really unnecessary. … Read more
Details of Turkey’s Planned Ban on Certain Quran Translations A Turkish parliamentary committee has recently approved a controversial bill that would grant the state-run Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) sweeping powers to censor, seize, and destroy Quran translations it deems “contrary to the essential principles of Islam”15. Under this proposed legislation, a Diyanet-appointed board would … Read more
X (formerly Twitter) blocked Ekrem İmamoğlu’s account in Turkey following a legal demand and court order issued by Turkish authorities. The official reason given was that posts on his account, particularly one from April 24, allegedly incited people to commit crimes and amounted to “propaganda for a criminal organization.” Authorities cited concerns over public order … Read more
After 45 days in prison, Ekrem İmamoğlu’s first photo from the prison as his family visits him. The photo was first broadcasted by OdaTv. Allegations Against Ekrem İmamoğlu Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul and a leading opposition figure, was arrested on March 19, 2025, and formally detained on March 23, 2025, facing a series … Read more
On April 11, 2025, he appeared in court at the Silivri Open Penal Institution for a trial related to allegations that he threatened Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek. The case involves charges that could result in a prison sentence of up to seven years and four months, as well as a political ban. İmamoğlu … Read more
I woke to hear that new detainments had been made this early morning. Meanwhile, Mahir Polat’s ordeal continues. His health condition is a significant concern, as he has serious heart issues, including multiple stents and recent angioplasty procedures while in prison. Despite his health risks, including hypertension and potential for heart attack or stroke, his … Read more
Here is the link: 2025 Turkish protests Turkish edition’s top post is also about the protests: 2025 Türkiye’de hükûmet karşıtı protestolar Here is also the 2025 timeline of anti-government protests in Turkey In the meantime, a BBC journalist was deported from Türkiye. Mark Lowen, a BBC News correspondent, was detained by Turkish authorities in Istanbul … Read more
CHP started a boycott campaign against several brands, and they are officially listed here on the boycott page. It is reasonable to mobilize masses as such, but every brand boycott requires strategic planning. I am not sure about some of the brands. Let’s see how it goes. The CHP’s boycott campaign in Turkey is a … Read more
Photojournalists of international organizations are arrested so that we cannot see what happens. But can they prevent reporting? Back to citizen journalism 101. In the meantime, I observed more motivation among the university students for further protests. Several journalists were detained during the protests in Turkey following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. … Read more
I wanted to talk about Mahir Polat. I did not meet him, but I always heard positive feedback about him. -I cannot say the same for many others in Imamoğlu’s inner circle- A modest person who worked hard to contribute to Istanbul’s cultural heritage. He was arrested along with Imamoğlu. In the last elections, he … Read more
As of March 23, 2025, the Turkish government has appointed trustees to 13 municipalities since the March 31, 2024 local elections. Below is the updated list, including the latest appointment in Şişli Municipality: Updated List of Trustee Appointments Hakkari Municipality (June 3, 2024): DEM Party Mayor Mehmet Sıddık Akış was replaced by Hakkari Governor Ali … Read more
Here is a round-up of what happened until noon on March 22 in the latest wave of crackdown in Türkiye: I have translated the allegations against İmamoğlu and his responses in this PDF file: Allegations against Ekrem İmamoğlu and İBB Turkey spends record $12bn defending lira after Erdoğan rival’s arrests. In the Istanbul Bar … Read more
There are some signs of protests I haven’t seen since the Gezi Protests. However, it is too early to say whether these will continue. In any case, we still need a VPN to continue our daily internet surfing. The police are not too brutal at the moment against the student movement we haven’t seen … Read more
I have a morning class starting at 9 am, and I didn’t check the news, but my students informed me about the developments during the break. Because of the internet throttling, it isn’t easy to access many social platforms. Police closed some of the main routes, my students had difficulty arriving at the campus, and … Read more