ISTANBUL: Turkiye’s opposition has called on supporters to rally outside the parliament in Ankara on Wednesday in defiance of an official ban on gatherings on a symbolic day for the republic.
A month after the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s biggest political rival — the president of Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) said he would speak outside parliament as the country marks National Sovereignty Day.
Ozgur Ozel, who was recently named as leader of the CHP, which was established by the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Ozel reiterated a call to stage the rally in a post on X late Tuesday despite a government banned on gatherings.
“April 23 cannot be banned. Our gathering in front of parliament and our march to Anitkabir (Ataturk’s Tomb) cannot be stopped,” he said.
“I invite all residents of Ankara, especially young people and students, and everyone who will be in Ankara tomorrow, to go to Parliament at 5:00 p.m. (1400 GMT), Turkish flags in hand. Sovereignty belongs to the nation.”
Imamoglu also referenced the rally from his cell at Silivri prison in Istanbul, where he has been held on corruption charges since March 25.
“I will watch this march for national sovereignty from prison. I will be at your sides. I will be marching with you,” Imamoglu said on X.
Imamoglu’s arrest has triggered a wave of protests in Turkiye’s main cities primarily driven by young people.
Turkiye’s opposition set to defy protest ban on Wednesday
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Turkiye’s opposition set to defy protest ban on Wednesday
- Ozel reiterated a call to stage the rally in a post on X late Tuesday despite a government banned on gatherings
- “April 23 cannot be banned,” he said
Seven dead, 11 hurt in southern Turkiye bus crash
- Seven people died and 11 others were hurt early Saturday when an intercity bus crashed into a lorry on a motorway in southern Turkiye, the local governor’s office said
ISTANBUL: Seven people died and 11 others were hurt early Saturday when an intercity bus crashed into a lorry on a motorway in southern Turkiye, the local governor’s office said.
The incident, which happened before dawn on the highway linking the cities of Adana and Gaziantep, happened when a coach plowed into an articulated lorry that had stopped after one of its tires blew out, state news agency Anadolu said.
Footage from the scene showed the front right section of the bus was totally mangled where it hit the back of the lorry about 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Gaziantep.
Quoting the Osmaniye governor’s office, Anadolu said all of the dead and injured were on board the bus with efforts ongoing to to identify the victims.
The lorry driver, who survived the crash, was detained with police closing down the road, it said.
