Preliminary probe into police violence during İmamoğlu protests

Aydın Aydoğan, a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), has filed a criminal complaint against law enforcement officers, alleging serious injury during a police response to a protest outside the İstanbu city hall following the arrest of Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu last month.

The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched a preliminary investigation into the conduct of the officers involved, according to Aydoğan, who recently provided a statement to prosecutors regarding the matter.

Aydoğan told bianet that he sustained serious injuries as a result of plastic bullets and heavy tear gas used during the police operation. He emphasized that there has been no change in police behavior since he was permanently disabled during the Gezi Park protests, the countrywide protests in 2013.

“That night in Saraçhane, tear gas and plastic bullets were again used deliberately,” he said. “I have asthma and I had great difficulty breathing. I vomited several times. I was hit on the head with a helmet. This isn’t a safety measure, it’s systematic violence.”

'I was helping others'

Aydoğan described the events during the rally organized by the CHP, which he attended on Mar 21. Police dispersed the crowd after the rally was concluded around midnight.

“At 00.30, we were engulfed in a cloud of tear gas. While shouting ‘there’s a sick person here,’ plastic bullets started raining down on me. I was targeted while trying to help people who had fallen to the ground. I couldn’t open my eyes. My clothes were soaked in tear gas. Even my family was affected by the gas. It took me hours to get home that night,” he said.

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Following the incident, Aydoğan received a forensic report documenting trauma and gas exposure from Bakırköy Dr. Sadi Konuk Hospital. He filed a criminal complaint with the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, accusing the police of “abuse of power” under Article 257 of the Penal Code and “deliberately endangering public safety” under Article 170.

He was later summoned to give a statement at the Kağıthane Patrol Unit on Apr 14. According to Aydoğan, the officers who allegedly assaulted him were not wearing visible helmet or badge numbers.

“I described the officers, but they didn’t have any identification on them,” he said. “Just like during Gezi, evidence collection is being obstructed. It’s the same scenario all over again. We took that case to the Constitutional Court ten years later. It’s still pending.”

'The chain of violence since Gezi'

Aydoğan said the police intervention was not just an attack on him, but on freedom of expression and the right to assembly.

“Since Gezi, political authorities have normalized impunity. This legitimizes unlawful actions,” he said. “This is not a matter of security—it’s a matter of democracy. We call for a full investigation by the prosecutor and demand that those responsible are held accountable. Legal accountability is the cornerstone of democracy.”

In the wake of Mayor İmamoğlu’s detention, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 1,879 people were taken into custody during protests across the country. He stated that 260 were formally arrested, 468 placed under judicial control, and proceedings were ongoing for 662 others. Yerlikaya also reported that 150 police officers were injured during the protests.

İmamoğlu was formally arrested on corruption charges on Mar 23, four days after his initial arrest. The arrest led to widespread protests organized by the CHP and students across the country, particularly in İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir.

(EMK/VK)