site.btaLarge-Scale Anti-government Protest Takes Place in Ankara

A large-scale anti-government protest is taking place in central Ankara. Similar protests are also taking place in many major cities across the country, including Ankara and Izmir, despite a ban on mass gatherings.

Tens of thousands of people are flocking to the capital's central Kizilay Square, where the rally is held. 

The anti-government protests in Turkey began after the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and 100 other senior representatives of the main opposition People's Republican Party (CHP) earlier this week.

Initially, the demonstrations were mainly attended by supporters of the Kemalist NRP, but the protests have subsequently become much larger. They involve supporters of various political formations, including the pro-Kurdish DEM party, the Turkish Communist Party, and the Workers' Party. Many young people - students and even schoolchildren - are taking part in the demonstrations.

A huge number of police officers, some of them heavily armed, are deployed near Kizilay Square. There are also water cannons in the centre of the capital.