Turkey rebels, Erdogan continues crackdown on protesters, mass arrests

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The violence in Turkey is being perpetrated not so much by the protesters against Erdogan's rule, but by the police who have been beating on the protesters. The Turks are not giving up and 

The recent arrest of Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and main rival of President Erdoğan has sparked the largest protests in Turkey in a decade, with over 1,100 people detained in demonstrations across the country. The mayor has been detained along with 106 municipal officials and politicians on March 19th for what Human Rights Watch says is politically motivated to stifle lawful political activities.

"By forcing Imamoglu out of politics, the government has crossed the line that separates Turkey’s competitive authoritarian regime from a full, Russian-style autocracy in which the president handpicks his opponents and elections are purely for show," Gonul Tol, Director of Turkish Program at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.

Below is a brief video of how disgustingly the police are treating the public which shows the government's desperation.

A spokesperson from Turkey's embassy in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital that Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 1,133 people have been detained since the arrest of the mayor, and around 123 police officers have been injured since the start of protests. Yerlikaya also claimed that weapons were seized during the protests and the individuals detained were found to have ties to different terrorist organizations and prior criminal records. 

And if you believe that propaganda you might also believe guns kill people.

Some knowledgeable people believe the move was orchestrated by Erdoğan to sideline the opposition, silence political dissent and increase his own dictatorial power.

"This is a dark time for democracy in Turkey, with such a blatantly lawless move to weaponize the justice system to cancel the democratic process," Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, told Fox News Digital in a statement.

In an address to celebrate the festival of Nowruz on Friday, Erdoğan said Turkey was not a country that was found on the street and will not submit to street terrorism.

"We will not allow public order to be damaged. We will not give in to vandalism or street terrorism," Erdoğan said, according to Reuters.

What this really means is that Erdoğan does not believe in freedom of expression and is doing all he can to stop the protests on the streets. People are not only getting arrested, they're getting hurt, sometimes seriously hurt.

The opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) held a symbolic primary vote over the weekend and nominated İmamoğlu to be the party’s candidate for president to face Erdoğan in the 2028 elections.

Despite the increased repression and threats to their own safety and security, the Turkish opposition is apparently not backing down.

"We, as the main opposition party that emerged as the first party in the last local elections in March 2024, will stand firm and resist any kind of oppression by the government," İlhan Uzgel, CHP Deputy Chairman for Foreign Policy said.

Uzgel correctly stated that Erdoğan seems frightened of losing power. He is urging opposition supporters to take to the streets to defend democracy, challenge lawlessness, and challenge the Erdoğan government's abuse of power.

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"We are happy to see that our people take to the streets despite the occasional use of force by the riot police, and demonstrate peacefully, which is a constitutional right," he added.

Imamoglu, who was recently jailed and is awaiting trial on corruption charges, was the most serious challenger to the decades-long rule of Erdoğan. His detention will likely keep him out of the political opposition for the foreseeable future, dealing a huge blow to Turkey’s pro-democracy movement.

Tol of the Middle East Institute said Erdoğan is counting on people’s anger dissipating over time and that the mass protests will eventually die down. 

The election is not scheduled until 2028, and people, Erdoğan hopes, will most likely forget and move on. However, it's never a good idea to think the public is stupid and this is what he's doing. I suspect it will not end well for him and that the Turkish people will eventually prevail.

İmamoğlu, member of the secular Republican People’s Party (CHP), was elected mayor of Istanbul in 2019 and re-elected in 2023. In both elections, he defeated Erdoğan-backed opponents which is a good indication that he would handily defeat Erdoğan in an election.

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CA Dem running for Porter's House seat arrested for a DUI

A California Democrat running for Rep. Katie Porter's seat in the House apologized Wednesday for getting caught driving drunk. Porter (D-CA) is vying for a Senate seat.

“Last night I was cited for a misdemeanor for driving under the influence,” state Sen. Dave Min said in a post on Facebook. “My decision to drive last night was irresponsible. I accept full responsibility and there is no excuse for my actions.” [So elect me because I'm a Democrat.]

“To my family, constituents and supporters, I am so deeply sorry,” he added. “I know I need to do better. I will not let this personal failure distract from our work in California and in Washington.”

Fortunately, Min did not kill anyone when he was driving under the influence, but he could have.

The Los Angeles Times reported the Sheriff’s Department confirmed that the California Highway Patrol arrested Min, and records show he was released from Sacramento County jail on Wednesday. So he wasn't just 'cited' as he said, he was arrested like a common criminal.

Min is a former business law professor at UC Irvine. He ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 and lost to Porter. He then ran and got elected to the state Senate in 2020.

In January, Porter announced her campaign to succeed the brain withered Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who recently discovered that she does not plan to seek re-election. So with that, Min declared his candidacy for Porter's seat in Orange County, and to celebrate, he got commode-hugging drunk and drove his vehicle until he got caught.

Min’s campaign website touts the state senator’s leftist lunatic legislative record featuring bills focused on “bold and aggressive gun violence prevention,” the climate, and more woke agenda nonsense.

“A first-generation Korean-American, Dave is running for Congress to create a better California for the children of Orange County — one that reflects our core values of diversity, tolerance, and opportunity that drew his parents and millions of others like them to this country in search of a better life,” the website notes. “Dave isn’t afraid to take on Trumpian Republicans and their dangerous policies, and works tirelessly every day to create an economy and community that uplift Orange County families.”

By "Trumpian Republicans" he means anyone who believes in the virtues of the U.S. Constitution, the right of the unborn to get born, and the importance of law and order. Trump has nothing to do with this insofar as what conservatives believe as these beliefs came before Trump got elected.

Porter endorsed Min to replace her, saying Min has “proven that he can win in this area while delivering on a progressive agenda with real results.” Just as long as he doesn't deliver it by automobile.

Besides Porter, two other execrable House Democrats — Reps. Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee — have announced campaigns to replace Feinstein in the Senate. A victory by Schiff or Lee would validate the theory that California Democrats would vote for a cow plop if it was shaped in a "D."

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