Tensions Rise Again in Turkey as Police Clash with Student Protesters
Tensions resurfaced in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Thursday as police clashed with student protesters, using pepper spray, plastic pellets, and water cannons to disperse crowds. This marked the latest escalation in a wave of antigovernment demonstrations that began last week following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
İmamoğlu, a prominent rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, faces corruption charges and accusations of supporting terrorism, which many view as politically motivated. The government insists on the judiciary’s independence, but critics argue the case is based on unsubstantiated testimony from secret witnesses.
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The confrontation took place near Middle East Technical University, where students attempted to march and deliver a press statement. Police intervened forcefully, and demonstrators took cover behind dumpsters before being detained. Meli̇h Meri̇ç, a lawmaker from İmamoğlu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP), was seen in videos facing pepper spray exposure and water cannon blasts.
“My student friends only wanted to make a press statement, but the police strictly did not allow it, this is the result,” Meri̇ç said in social media posts.
The protests, which have drawn hundreds of thousands of people across major cities, represent the largest challenge to Erdoğan’s government in over a decade. Protests briefly calmed in recent days, but the clash in Ankara threatens to reignite unrest.
İmamoğlu, who is the CHP’s candidate for the 2028 presidential elections, condemned the violence from prison, calling it an attack on the nation’s youth. He remains a significant challenger to Erdoğan, having won the Istanbul mayoralty in 2019 in a major blow to the president.
