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Hundreds of Thousands Rally in Istanbul in Support of Imprisoned Mayor

People take part in a rally to protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of a corruption investigation, in Istanbul, Türkiye, March 29, 2025. (Reuters)
People take part in a rally to protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of a corruption investigation, in Istanbul, Türkiye, March 29, 2025. (Reuters)
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Hundreds of Thousands Rally in Istanbul in Support of Imprisoned Mayor

People take part in a rally to protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of a corruption investigation, in Istanbul, Türkiye, March 29, 2025. (Reuters)
People take part in a rally to protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of a corruption investigation, in Istanbul, Türkiye, March 29, 2025. (Reuters)

Hundreds of thousands of protesters again congregated in Istanbul Saturday to show their support for the city's imprisoned mayor and demand his release.

Türkiye's main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP) organized the demonstration, the latest in a series of protests that resulted in hundreds of detentions and have turned up the pressure on the country's long-time leader, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to Erdogan, was detained on March 19 on corruption and terrorism charges that many saw as politically motivated. The government insists the judiciary is independent and free of political interference.

His detention, and later formal arrest over the corruption charges on March 23rd, sparked nationwide protests despite assembly bans, police crackdowns, and legal prosecution by authorities.

“They’ve detained hundreds of our children, thousands of our youths... arrested hundreds of them,” CHP leader Ozgur Ozel told protesters. “They only had one goal in mind: to intimidate them, terrify them, make sure they never go out again.”

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Thursday that nearly 1,900 people had been detained since March 19, and pro-government media reported Friday that public prosecutors had requested up to three years imprisonment for 74 of the detainees.

Police kept their distance at Saturday’s rally with no new arrests reported.  

Ozel called for the immediate release of Imamoglu, as well as for other political prisoners including Selahattin Demirtas, a former presidential candidate and founder of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM.  

“In the Türkiye we envision presidential candidates will not be imprisoned,” added Ozel.  

Last Sunday, hours after he had been formally arrested, Imamoglu won a symbolic primary to be the CHP's candidate in a presidential election currently scheduled for 2028, but which is likely to take place earlier.  

Ozel noted they would begin collecting signatures for Imamoglu’s release and also to demand an early election.

Other speakers at Saturday’s rally included Dilek Imamoglu, the imprisoned mayor’s wife, as well as Ankara Mayor Masur Yavas, another high profile CHP figure.

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Danish Leader Tells the US ‘You Cannot Annex Another Country’ as She Visits Greenland

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's acting head of government Mute Bourup Egede attend a press conference aboard the Danish Navy inspection vessel Vaedderen, in the waters around Nuuk, Greenland, April 3, 2025. (Reuters)
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's acting head of government Mute Bourup Egede attend a press conference aboard the Danish Navy inspection vessel Vaedderen, in the waters around Nuuk, Greenland, April 3, 2025. (Reuters)
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Danish Leader Tells the US ‘You Cannot Annex Another Country’ as She Visits Greenland

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's acting head of government Mute Bourup Egede attend a press conference aboard the Danish Navy inspection vessel Vaedderen, in the waters around Nuuk, Greenland, April 3, 2025. (Reuters)
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's acting head of government Mute Bourup Egede attend a press conference aboard the Danish Navy inspection vessel Vaedderen, in the waters around Nuuk, Greenland, April 3, 2025. (Reuters)

Denmark's prime minister has told the US during a visit to Greenland that “you cannot annex another country,” even with the argument that international security is at stake.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, said on Friday that Washington will respect Greenland's self-determination and Copenhagen “should focus on the fact that the Greenlanders don’t want to be a part of Denmark.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was wrapping up a three-day visit to the strategically critical Arctic island on Friday as US President Donald Trump seeks control of Greenland. He argues that Greenland, a semiautonomous territory belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark, is critical to US security.

A week ago, Vice President JD Vance visited a remote US military base in Greenland and accused Denmark of underinvesting in the territory.

Frederiksen pushed back against the US criticism as she spoke on Thursday alongside Greenland's incoming and outgoing leaders on board a Danish naval ship. She argued that Denmark, a NATO ally, has been a reliable friend.

Speaking in English, she said that “if we let ourselves be divided as allies, then we do our foes a favor. And I will do everything that I can to prevent that from happening.”

“When you ask our businesses to invest in the US, they do. When you ask us to spend more on our defense, we do; and when you ask of us to strengthen security in the Arctic, we are on the same page,” she said.

“But when you demand to take over a part of the Kingdom of Denmark’s territory, when we are met by pressure and by threats from our closest ally, what are we to believe in about the country that we have admired for so many years?”

“This is about the world order that we have built together across the Atlantic over generations: you cannot annex another country, not even with an argument about international security,” Frederiksen said.

The Danish leader said that, if the US wants to strengthen security in the Arctic, “let us do so together.”

Political parties in Greenland, which has been leaning toward eventual independence from Denmark for years, last week agreed to form a broad-based new coalition government in the face of Trump's designs on the territory. Those have angered many in Greenland and Denmark.

In an interview with Newsmax on Thursday, Vance repeated the accusation that Denmark has “really underinvested in the infrastructure and security of Greenland.”

He said Trump's point is that “this matters to our security, this matters to our missile defense, and we're going to protect America's interests come hell or high water.”

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who was attending a meeting in Brussels with his NATO counterparts, wrote on social network X that he had an “honest and direct” meeting Thursday with Rubio.

“I made it crystal clear that claims and statements about annexing Greenland are not only unacceptable and disrespectful,” Løkke Rasmussen wrote. “They amount to a violation of international law.”

Rubio told reporters in Brussels Friday that “no one's annexed anything.” He added that Vance has made clear that “he's going to respect the self-determination of Greenlanders.”

“Denmark should focus on the fact that the Greenlanders don’t want to be a part of Denmark," Rubio said.

“We didn’t give them that idea. They’ve been talking about that for a long time,” he said. "Whenever they make that decision, they’ll make that decision.”

“If they make that decision, then the United States would stand ready, potentially, to step in and say, okay, we can create a partnership with you," Rubio said, adding that "we’re not at that stage.”