Ankara Again in Turmoil Over Anti-President Protests

ছবিঃ সংগৃহীত

News Desk:

Thousands of people gathered on the streets of Ankara yesterday demanding the resignation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

According to a report by Reuters on Sunday (14 September), the protest was sparked by ongoing legal proceedings seeking to annul the congress bylaws of the country’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP). Demonstrators carried flags and chanted slogans calling for the president to step down.

Protesters allege that over the past year, the Ankara administration has carried out legal harassment against members and supporters of the opposition CHP. The verdict of the ongoing case could potentially remove the opposition party leader, who is currently in prison.

In a message sent from the scene, opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu claimed that the government is attempting to predetermine the results of the next election. He accused authorities of politically motivated judicial actions and efforts to suppress dissent, thereby weakening democracy.

Turkey’s political instability began after the arrest of İmamoğlu in March, leading to a continuous depreciation of the national currency, the lira, and significant strain on the country’s economy.