site.btaUPDATED Turkish Authorities Detain 10 Journalists amid Protests Linked to Arrest of Opposition Leader Imamoglu

Ten local and foreign journalists, including one from Agence France-Presse, were arrested in Turkiye early Monday morning, according to reports from the Turkish media trade union Disk Basin-Is and the Turkish Journalists Union (Turkiye Gazeteciler Sendikasi) published on x.com. The detentions are linked to protests in major cities in Turkiye triggered by the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and other members of the Republican People's Party.

The leader of the Republican People's Party Ozgur Ozel, quoted by the Istanbul-based daily BirGun on Sunday, said that some 15 million people voted in the intraparty elections and chose Imamoglu to be the party's nominee for the 2028 presidential elections.

The trade unions opposed the detentions of journalists, arguing that such actions violate people's right to know the truth, which should not be hidden by silencing journalists.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned the protests, and Turkish authorities have banned rallies, media appearances, marches, sit-ins and leaflet distribution in the country's three most populous cities: Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Despite the bans, protests continue across the country.