29.03.2025 08:00
The CHP will hold a rally in Maltepe to protest the detention of the removed Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. It has been announced that EMEP, DEM Party, Memleket Party, Left Party, TİP, and BTP will also participate in the rally alongside the CHP. The Memleket Party's Istanbul Provincial Presidency stated that the party's General Chairman Muharrem İnce will also attend the rally.
CHP will hold a rally on Saturday, March 29 at 12:00 PM at Maltepe Beach to protest the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
CHP called to the rally with the words, "Now the word is ours! You come too, let this injustice and lawlessness come to an end!"
WHICH PARTIES WILL PARTICIPATE?
It was announced that EMEP, DEM Party, Left Party, TIP, and BTP will participate in the rally organized by CHP in support of İmamoğlu.
DEM PARTY MADE A CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
The DEM Party Istanbul Organization also made a call for CHP's Maltepe rally through a statement on their social media account.
The statement said, "As the Istanbul Labor, Peace, and Democracy Forces, we are gathering at the Maltepe Rally on Saturday, March 29 at 12:00 PM. We stand up for democracy and the will of the people!"
BAKIRHAN SAID WE WON'T GO TO THE STREETS
While the protests that started with İmamoğlu's detention continue, DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan, in response to a question about the actions during a television program he attended, said, "We are not the activist crowd of CHP. We support them, but we will not go to the streets for this."
İNCE WILL PARTICIPATE, VICTORY PARTY 'MAY NOT'
The Istanbul Provincial Presidency of the Homeland Party announced that its General President Muharrem İnce will participate in the Maltepe Rally tomorrow. It is still unknown whether İnce will give a speech.
Ali Şehirlioğlu, Deputy Chairman of the Victory Party, had previously stated that they would not participate in the Maltepe Rally if the DEM Party participated.
The party had also announced earlier that they would not participate in the protests in Saraçhane for the same reason.
İMAMOĞLU CALLED TO THE RALLY
In a post made from İmamoğlu's social media account, who is detained in Silivri's Marmara Closed Prison, the following statements were made:
"My precious citizens. You have become millions, you rushed to the polls. You drew a very strong roadmap for me. Now, on the eve of the holiday, at the threshold of Turkey's second century journey, we will set out together.
With our children, our youth, women, men, we will all be the guardians of Istanbul and Turkey. I will watch you from Silivri, but I will be with you with all my heart, thoughts, and words. Let's be together for freedom, democracy, and justice at Istanbul's biggest gathering. The nation is great.
'The mountain top is covered in smoke, let's walk friends, the sun is just about to rise, let's walk friends.' I love you all very much. Everything will be very beautiful. The great gathering will be on Saturday, March 29 at 12:00 PM at Maltepe Beach Rally Area."
ÖZEL: LET'S TURN THE EVE OF THE HOLIDAY INTO A HOLIDAY OF DEMOCRACY
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel called citizens to the rally to be held at Istanbul Maltepe Square with a video shared on his social media account. In his post, he stated:
"Dear young people, mothers, fathers, our precious elders. My valuable citizens who demand a fair and democratic country. We are going through days where we witness history. We are witnessing the determination of the honorable, conscientious citizens of the Republic of Turkey to stand up for democracy and their own will. On Sunday, March 23, 15.5 million citizens came to choose our presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu in the primary election, and it went down in history. Especially the youth, who fill the squares and streets every day, said that from now on, let hope prevail instead of fear, pushing back the coup of March 19. We will draw strength from each other. They said, 'I am here too.' They said, 'The word is no longer just with one person, but with the nation.'
Know that the valuable soldiers of our democracy struggle, the candidacy of our President Ekrem will be the beginning of a journey that guarantees equality, justice, bright tomorrows, and most importantly, the sovereignty of our nation. Let's come together on Saturday, March 29 at 12:00 PM at the Maltepe beach rally area to start the journey of our presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu together. Let's turn the eve of the holiday into a holiday of democracy and celebrate with our President Ekrem and all our comrades who have been wronged. Let us be a single voice against the unlawful detentions against Ekrem İmamoğlu and all our friends, and let us carry our country to bright days for the present and future of Turkey together. On that day, there will be millions of Ekrem İmamoğlu in that square. Let's rush to Maltepe. Let's meet in the square. Let's start this great march together."
SOME ROADS IN ISTANBUL HAVE BEEN CLOSED TO TRAFFIC
The Istanbul Governorship announced that some roads will be closed to traffic on Saturday, March 29 due to the rally to be held in Maltepe.
In a statement made by the governorship, the following roads will be closed to traffic from 07:00 today until the measures are lifted:
"Turgut Özal Boulevard (Maltepe-Kartal Coastal Road) (the section between the front of Küçükyalı Maltepe Marriage Office and the Kartal Çanakkale Street Junction) and all streets leading to this avenue."
The statement noted that the D-100 highway and Maltepe Bağdat Avenue could be used as alternative routes for the closed roads.