Turkish authorities detained several members and executives of the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) early Friday morning, including party council member Arzum Yalçın, over slogans chanted during a rally organized by the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Istanbul’s Bakırköy district on Wednesday evening.
TIP announced the detentions with a statement on its X account, saying: “Many of our party members and executives, including our party council member Arzum Yalçın, have been detained on the grounds of slogans chanted during Wednesday’s rally in Bakırköy. Our lawyers are following the process closely. Those attempting to suppress the will of the people are fabricating crimes to punish the opposition. We will not surrender to repression, and our comrades must be released immediately!”
According to TIP, the suspects were detained in simultaneous raids on their homes. Later news reports revealed that detainees were accused of chanting slogans that insulted Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code criminalizes insults against the president. Whoever insults the president can face up to four years in prison, a sentence that can be increased if the crime was committed through the mass media.
Wednesday’s rally, organized by the CHP as part of its “Protecting the National Will” campaign, was held to protest what the party describes as a politically motivated crackdown.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained on March 19 and later arrested on corruption charges widely seen as politically motivated. İmamoğlu, the most powerful political rival of President Erdoğan, has also been named the party’s candidate for the next presidential election slated for 2028.
The investigation has expanded to include 47 municipal officials and opposition figures, with 30 arrests reported in İstanbul and Adana. Critics see the sweeping probe as an attempt to weaken the opposition and consolidate power ahead of a potential snap election.
