Protests in Turkey

Across Turkey, hundreds of thousands of people have been taking to the streets after the arrest of President Erdogan’s main political rival, the Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu. It is the worst unrest for more than a decade and police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protestors and arrested hundreds of people.

Presenter Mark Lowen was in Turkey earlier this week and meets two university students, who say they are protesting to protect democracy. He also brings together three Turkish journalists who share their experiences of being targeted by government security forces.

“I was one of those journalists who has been tear-gassed directly by the police,” TV journalist, Eylul, tells us. “It blinded us for 30 minutes, we couldn’t move, we couldn’t do anything, we were just blinded.”

Mark hosts the programme from London after he was detained by the Turkish authorities and subsequently deported, accused of being a threat to public order. He shares his experiences of the hours he spent in custody.

Presenter: Mark Lowen
BBC producers: Isabella Bull and Angela Sheeran
Boffin Media producer: Richard Hollingham

An EcoAudio certified Boffin Media production in partnership with the OS team.

(Photo: A demonstrator wearing dervish clothes and a gas mask, gestures next to police during a protest on the day Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was jailed as part of a corruption investigation, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 23, 2025. Credit: Mura/Reuters)