Türkiye 's nationwide protests result in over 100 police injuries, thousands detained

In the wake of unsanctioned opposition rallies that took place across Türkiye from March 19 to March 23, 1,133 individuals were detained, and 123 policemen were injured, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

Minister Yerlikaya took to social media platform X to share the details of the protests, which saw escalating tensions and violent clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement, Caliber.Az reports.

Anayasa’mızın 34. Maddesi: “Herkes önceden izin almadan, SİLAHSIZ ve SALDIRISIZ toplantı ve gösteri yürüyüşü düzenleme hakkına sahiptir.

Toplantı ve gösteri yürüyüşü hakkı ancak, millî güvenlik, kamu düzeni, suç işlenmesinin önlenmesi, genel sağlığın ve genel ahlâkın veya…

— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) March 24, 2025

The rallies, which were not officially sanctioned, led to the use of various weapons, including acid, stones, sticks, firecrackers, hammers, axes, and knives, all of which were seized during the detentions.

"During the demonstrations, 123 policemen were injured. Acid, stones, sticks, firecrackers, hammers, axes, and knives were seized during these actions," Yerlikaya reported.

"Legal proceedings are ongoing against those who attack our police, damage public property, and threaten the security of our people."

The Interior Ministry also identified that several of the detained individuals had links to 12 different terrorist organizations. Additionally, the authorities discovered that among the detainees, there were individuals facing prosecution for a range of 17 different criminal offenses.

Yerlikaya emphasized the government's commitment to ensuring the safety of citizens and the integrity of public order, with legal action already underway against those involved in the violence.

To recall, protests broke out across Türkiye for the second consecutive night after the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is facing charges related to corruption and terrorism in a separate investigation.

On March 20, demonstrators gathered outside Istanbul’s City Hall, where clashes occurred between protesters and police as they attempted to approach the city’s heavily guarded Taksim Square, a site of significant unrest in 2013.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued an official statement detailing the charges against the mayor. According to the statement, İmamoğlu is accused of establishing and leading a criminal organization, accepting bribes, extortion, unlawfully recording personal data, and interfering with a public tender.

The investigation, which includes 100 suspects, is focused on a range of serious allegations, including leading a criminal organization, membership in a criminal organization, embezzlement, bribery, aggravated fraud, unlawful acquisition of personal data, and rigging public tenders.

By Vafa Guliyeva