The Turkish Police have arrested several protestors involved in the mass demonstrations against the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. They were subjected to widespread physical abuse, sexual harassment, and degrading treatment, according to local media reports.&nbsp;
Till now, Turkish security forces have arrested over 1,800 people, including several journalists, amid the ongoing protests that erupted after Imamoglu, the arch-rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a potential presidential election contender, was arrested.
The lawyers representing the detainees revealed the horrific abuse they are facing in the jails.
A series of detailed testimonies and legal records revealed the most serious allegation made by a young woman detained in Istanbul's Sarachane neighbourhood.
In an official statement, she stated that she was pulled by her hair, dragged on the ground, and groped by a male officer, and in fear, she urinated on herself.&nbsp;
Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker Sezgin Tanrikulu confirmed that the details had been recorded in interrogation records and presented to the Penal Court of Peace.
"I have the police statement and the interrogation record in hand. A young female student has clearly described how she was harassed and mistreated. The judiciary has remained silent.," Tanrikulu posted on social media
Additional accounts gathered by the Istanbul Bar Association reveal a broader pattern. Attorney Halil Enes Kavak detailed the brutality of the Turkish police.
"In Sarachane, none of the youths detained were without signs of physical violence. Many had been dragged, kicked, punched, and struck with helmets. Some were not even part of the protests -- they weren't fleeing, weren't resisting. These were arbitrary roundups," Kavak said, speaking to Turkish newspaper Sozcu.&nbsp;
He added that holding cells were "overcrowded and airless," with some detainees kept on the 7th underground floor while still soaked in pepper spray from the protests.
"They were kept for four days in suffocating conditions without proper ventilation. This turned into a form of punishment. Whether released, jailed or still in custody, all of them still reek of pepper spray," Kavak added.
Condemning the sexual and physical violence on female detainees, the Women's Assembly of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) called it "a reflection of the male-dominated, sexist and authoritarian policies of the state," Turkish local media reported.
Meanwhile, Mehmet Pehlivan, the lawyer representing jailed Mayor Imamoglu, who was detained late on Thursday, has been released under judicial supervision.
Earlier, reacting to the detention of his lawyer on X, Imamoglu had demanded his immediate release.
"My lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, was detained on fictitious grounds. As if the coup against democracy was not enough, they can't tolerate the victims defending themselves. Release my lawyer immediately," Imamoglu said in a social media post published by his legal team.
Pehlivan denied the accusations against him and stated that he was being targeted for representing the jailed mayor in a statement to the prosecutors.
He accused prosecutors of conducting investigations based on erroneous and false reports as well as witness statements rooted in gossip.&nbsp;
As several journalists were arrested by the Turkish authorities, the Turkish Journalists' Union on Saturday called for media to be allowed to operate freely following the detention of journalists and penalties imposed on several media outlets covering mass protests linked to opposition politician Imamoglu.
Imamoglu's detention has sparked mass protests in Turkey. The popular 53-year-old has been widely seen as the only politician who could defeat Turkey's longtime leader Erdogan, at the ballot box.
&mdash;IANS

People protesting against Imamoglu's detention

Police have arrested over 1,800 people, including journalists, in protests that followed Istanbul mayor Imamoglu's arrest

Turkish Protesters Face Abuse, Sexual Harassment

Police have arrested over 1,800 people, including journalists, in protests that followed Istanbul mayor Imamoglu's arrest

March 29, 2025 | 17:22 IST