Students from Ekrem Imamoglu's alma mata lead protests against his arrest

In response to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, students from his alma mater have been at the forefront of protests, and unrest is expected to continue throughout Turkey. The İmamoğlu incident has garnered widespread attention and quickly escalated into a nationwide protest movement.

İmamoğlu's Istanbul University degree was revoked on Tuesday, a degree that is a prerequisite for becoming president. This move is seen as the beginning of a series of events, with Turkey experiencing its largest street protests in recent years this week, targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP). The incident is not only a blow to İmamoğlu personally but is also viewed as an erosion of Turkish democracy.

On Friday afternoon, the Governor of Istanbul ordered the closure of the Galata Bridge and the Atatürk Bridge, two major routes to the city hall and sites of recent nightly demonstrations. This measure is aimed at limiting the spread of protests and maintaining social order. However, this action has further intensified public discontent.

İmamoğlu was expected to be nominated by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) this week as a candidate for the next presidential election, scheduled for 2028, when Erdoğan could be ousted after a quarter-century in power. However, for many students, this is just the latest in a long line of problems they face in Turkey. The student community is concerned about the future of the country and actively participating in the protests.

Representatives of the Istanbul University Student Solidarity (Ogrenci Dayanismasi), who have been leading the protests, told Middle East Eye that the activists are not necessarily supporters of the Republican People's Party—which they called a "capitalist" party—but that İmamoğlu's arrest and the revocation of his degree are an attack on democracy that needs to be confronted. "Unfortunately, elections in Turkey revolve around a competition between two candidates. As a leftist and an organized activist, I don't support the Republican People's Party," they said, remaining anonymous for security reasons.

They added that the detention of İmamoğlu was "illegal" and aimed at preventing him from challenging Erdoğan and ultimately ousting the president. "The departure of the Justice and Development Party will not bring about a revolution, nor do I expect the Republican People's Party to undertake such a mission—however, depending on the political context of the election, I might vote for İmamoğlu," the Ogrenci Dayanismasi spokesperson said.

Student protesters waved the flag of the republic, but flags of Marxist organizations, such as the Freedom and Solidarity Party, the Labor Party, and the Marxist Thought Community, were also present. On Thursday, students gathered at Istanbul University before heading to the Saraçhane intersection, where the city hall is located. They then attempted to march to Taksim Square in the city center.

Students were met by police barricades, and police fired tear gas at the demonstrators. There were also reports of police firing rubber bullets at the protesters. The Ogrenci Dayanismasi spokesperson said that the Republican People's Party held a rally in support of İmamoğlu nearby. "The students started booing the Republican People's Party and chanting, 'We came for action, not rallies! Students are being tear-gassed here, and you are holding rallies!'" they said.

"Democracy, which has been systematically destroyed for years, can only be regained by organizing the people at the grassroots level and encouraging them to fight for their rights."

İmamoğlu remains in detention after being arrested in the early hours of Wednesday. He was detained along with about 100 people on suspicion of extortion, money laundering, and irregularities related to tenders and procurement, all of which he denies. His supporters believe his arrest is politically motivated and aimed at imprisoning one of the country's most popular politicians. On Thursday evening, demonstrations broke out in 32 of Turkey's 81 provinces, including cities such as Van, Bursa, and Konya, the latter known as a Justice and Development Party stronghold.

Protesters chanted slogans such as "Shoulder to shoulder against fascism!" and "Tayyip resign!". People in Istanbul went to their windows and banged pots and pans in support of the mayor. Turkish media said on Friday that police had arrested at least 88 protesters, with Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya earlier saying that 53 people had been arrested, adding that 16 police officers had been injured.

While the latest wave of protests stems from İmamoğlu's arrest, they are also driven by the country's persistent economic problems and growing discontent with the Justice and Development Party's 23-year rule. Students in particular face many problems in Turkey, and experts warn that a growing number are choosing to emigrate due to a lack of graduate jobs, suppression of academic freedom, and concerns about the country's future.

A national study conducted by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Ankara in 2023 found that two-thirds of 18-25 year olds would leave Turkey if they had the opportunity, a figure that rises among those with degrees such as doctors or engineers. Meanwhile, a "Student Cost of Living Survey" conducted last year by the Istanbul Planning Agency (IPA) found that the cost of living for university students in Istanbul has exceeded the minimum wage.

According to the survey, the monthly expenses for students living in private dormitories have soared by 57.17% in one year to 22,920 Turkish lira ($670), while the expenses for students sharing a three-person apartment have risen by 49.59%, from 12,535 lira to 18,750 lira per month, exceeding the minimum wage of 17,002 lira.

Ayhan Kaya, a scholar at Istanbul Bilgi University, said that a series of economic problems, as well as instability related to persistent internal ethnic and political conflicts—such as the conflict with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or the 2016 military coup attempt and its aftermath—have been major drivers of emigration among young Turks.

"Emigration triggered by this conflict has been a widespread experience since the 2013 Gezi Park protests and the 2016 attempted coup, and is affecting the skilled and secular young population," he told Middle East Eye. He said that İmamoğlu and his rhetoric have successfully appealed to the young population who need "a glimmer of hope for the future." "Under the current conditions, young people are taking to the streets because the parliamentary democratic system is not working—if their demands are not listened to and recognized by state actors, then a new wave of emigration that already exists may continue," Kaya said.

İmamoğlu was first elected Mayor of Istanbul in April 2019, but the Supreme Election Council (YSK) overturned the vote due to complaints of irregularities from the Justice and Development Party. A revote was held, and İmamoğlu was re-elected with an even larger margin. Since then, he has faced numerous legal challenges. In 2022, İmamoğlu was charged with insulting public officials for allegedly calling the Supreme Election Council "foolish" in 2019 for its decision to annul the mayoral election that April.

İmamoğlu denied that he was referring to the Supreme Election Council in his comments, but rather to the government, but he was sentenced to more than two years in prison and a political ban. Because he has appealed the ruling—which is still ongoing—he has avoided imprisonment, and the ban has not yet taken effect. While Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party won the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2023, their powerful election machine has faced increasing pressure in recent years, with Turkey's economic problems and a perceived weak stance on Israel's war in Gaza eroding support.

The Justice and Development Party and its allies suffered losses in last year's local elections, with the Republican People's Party sweeping many regions of the country, including İmamoğlu's re-election in Istanbul. Polls show that İmamoğlu does have a chance of defeating Erdoğan if he is nominated by the Republican People's Party as their next presidential candidate.

More protests are scheduled for Friday evening. While authorities are trying to push back—with reports that the national regulator has fined four news outlets the highest possible amount for covering the protests—there are no signs that the protests are waning. "The situation in Turkey is not a uniquely Turkish problem. People everywhere are losing their basic rights, and of course, they will become politicized," the Ogrenci Dayanismasi spokesperson said. "This process may change, but the struggle must continue with the same determination."