Opposition in Turkey holds massive rally
Tens of thousands of Turks come out in force in a direct challenge to their president as they call for an end to a state of emergency that has been in place since 2016.
ISTANBUL — Tens of thousands of Turks came out in force in an Istanbul suburb on Sunday in a direct challenge to their president as they called for an end to a state of emergency that has been in place since a failed coup in July 2016.
The mammoth protest — organized by the opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP — was a rare display of public dissent in a country where tens of thousands have been jailed as part of a systematic postcoup purge of dissidents and other government opponents. Even small demonstrations in central Istanbul have often been met with a harsh police response. But Sunday’s rally, which organizers claimed drew more than a million people, marked a triumphant end to a march started by opposition leaders in Ankara three weeks ago.
The lawmakers and others walked from the capital, Ankara, to Istanbul’s seaside — a journey of about 280 miles. That walk, led by the mild-mannered CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, ended up breathing new life into an opposition that just months ago was on the verge of irrelevance.
Kilicdaroglu, in an uncharacteristically fiery speech on Sunday, called the rally a “new step, a new history, a new birth.” He read out a list of demands for the government of President Recep Tayyip Erodgan, including “giving parliament back its authority” and “releasing jailed lawmakers and journalists.”
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who was in Istanbul on Sunday, met with Erodgan and lauded Turkish citizens for taking to the streets a year ago to protest the coup attempt.
“Nearly a year ago, the Turkish people — brave men and women — stood up against coup plotters and defended their democracy,” Tillerson said in remarks at an oil industry conference. He did not mention the Istanbul demonstration or the government crackdown.
In April, Kilicdaroglu failed to mount a successful challenge as a referendum on constitutional amendments granted sweeping powers to Erdogan. Last year, Kilicdaroglu voted along with the president’s party to lift lawmakers’ immunity from prosecution. That move was unpopular among his supporters. But in recent weeks, Kilicdaroglu has inspired ordinary Turks to join his march and voice their concerns about the country’s direction.