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Turkish Opposition Leader Ends 25-Day March With Istanbul Rally

5 minute read

Addressing huge throngs of people at a rally in Istanbul on Sunday, the leader of Turkey’s mainstream opposition, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, issued a thunderous demand for an end to an ongoing government crackdown under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The rally represented the largest public display of opposition to the clampdown Erdogan’s government since he survived a failed military coup attempt nearly a year ago. More than 47,000 people have been detained since the government suppressed the attempt seize power by a faction of the armed forces on July 15, 2016.

“This is the era of dictatorship. This is the era of 1940s Germany,” said Kilicdaroglu, addressing a huge throng of demonstrators at a parade grounds along the Sea of Marmara. “With this rally we witness that we are not alone. Each one of us represents hope,” he also said.

Kilicdaroglu spoke at the rally after walking about 280 miles from Ankara in protest of the crackdown which has lead to the arrest journalists, academics, and members of parliament. Kilicdaroglu set out from the capital on June 15, a day after a member of parliament from his Republican People’s Party (CHP) was arrested, joining at least 11 other opposition lawmakers who have been detained in recent months.

After marching through the Turkish countryside for more than three weeks, Kilicdaroglu arrived in Istanbul on Saturday leading a throng of thousands of protesters. The protest raised fears of a confrontation when the crowd arrived in the city, but there were no signs of violence. Police had provided security for Kilicdaroglu and the protesters during their long walk from Ankara. On Sunday, Kilicdaroglu chose to walk alone on the final stretch to the rally.

“’I reached the end of my walk, but this is not the end. It is the beginning of a new era,” he said, speaking to a cheering crowd that chanted “Hak, hukuk, adalet!” (Rights, law, justice!) Though it was organized by the CHP, the organizers of both the march and rally eschewed party insignia, instead distributing signs reading “adalet,” justice. The crowd waved Turkish flags.

Kilicdaroglu has been criticized in the past for failing to organize a credible opposition to the crackdown in the aftermath of the July 15 coup attempt. However, his march across the country captured a piece of Turkey’s national political conversation. The demonstration in Istanbul was a show of force for Turkey’s mainstream opposition, and CHP supporters were heavily represented in the crowd. The protest also attracted support from members of the broader Turkish public.

“I want justice for everyone in this country. I want justice for my children,” said Saime Zirik, 55, as she stood in in the afternoon sun awaiting Kilicdaroglu’s arrival. She said she had been unable to find work for five years.

A populist leader who has dominated Turkish politics for about 15 years, President Erdogan is a deeply polarizing figure, equally loved and hated by rival political camps within Turkey. In recent years, he has sidelined other leaders within his own party and moved to restrict political opponents. The coup attempt led to an acceleration of the clampdown, including the closure of dozens of news organizations and the firing of top military officers and tens of civil servants.

In April, Erdogan also won a disputed victory in a referendum on a constitutional overhaul to replace Turkey’s parliamentary system of government with one dominated by a powerful presidency. The government argued the changes were needed to impose stability, while the opposition denounced it as a power grab. The vote itself was also marred by widespread claims of fraud. The referendum marked another step in a larger struggle over the future Turkey’s democracy.

In his speech on Sunday, Kilicdaroglu issued a list of demands including freeing the judiciary from the influence of the ruling party, releasing journalists from prison, and greater prosperity for all Turkish citizens. He did not articulate a specific plan to achieve those goals, and even some of the protesters in the crowd expressed skepticism about whether the demonstration would result in concrete changes.

“Unless Erdogan says ‘yes,’ nothing will change in this country,” said a 60-year-old teacher from Istanbul who also stood in the crowd. She asked for her name to be withheld, for fear that she could lose her job for publicly criticizing the government.

The number of demonstrators at Sunday’s rally was a matter of dispute, as CHP officials claimed that more than two million people attended the protest in Istanbul’s suburban Maltepe district. The Istanbul regional government placed attendance at 175,000. Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency reported that 15,000 police officers had been deployed to provide security.

Regardless of the turnout, some members of the opposition left the demonstration energized.

“I feel like I’m more hopeful for the future. I feel like a new person now,” said Fahri Gokdal, 61, a retired civil servant who came to the rally from the town of Burhaniye, about a five-hour drive south of Istanbul.

TURKEY, Sakarya. People fire torchs while Turkey's main opposition party CHP (Republican People’s Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu walks with thousands of supporters during Justice March. There had been surprising shows of support along the march route, from honking cars and clusters of well-wishers, even in Duzce, a stronghold for Erdogan’s supporters. 2017
Thousands march for justice from Ankara to Istanbul, led by CHP (Republican People's Party) opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Sakarya, Turkey, July 2, 2017. The demonstrators are protesting the more than 47,000 people who have been arrested since last year's attempted coup of July 15, 2016. Emin Ozmen—Magnum for TIME
TURKEY, Sakarya, People walk and shout slogans during Justice March. 2017
Thousands walk and shout slogans during the Justice March which began June 15 in Ankara, Turkey in protest of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, July 1, 2017. Emin Ozmen—Magnum for TIME
TURKEY, Kocaeli, Kartepe. People try to relax under spray water during Justice March. Since last week, Turkey has been suffering one of the most intense heatwaves in a century. In this hear, the thousands of people are taking part in shifts in the “justice march” of main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. They are struggling under the burning sun over their head and also the melting asphalt under their feet. 2017
Marchers are cooled by the spray of water in Kartepe, Turkey, July 2, 2017, during one of the most intense heat waves in a century. On June 15, thousands of people began walking in shifts from Ankara to Istanbul in opposition to the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Since last year's July 15, 2016 attempted coup, more than 47,000 people have been arrested by the government.Emin Ozmen—Magnum for TIME
TURKEY, Sakarya/Hendek, People carrie a 1 km long Turkish flag during Justice March, which he started to walk for Justice from Ankara to Istanbul on 16th June. 2017
A Turkish flag is carried by demonstrators during the Justice March, a walk from Ankara to Istanbul, July 1, 2017, in protest of the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Emin Ozmen—Magnum for TIME
TURKEY. Istanbul. 2017. People show their support to the Justice March near the highway.
Supporters wave to the demonstrators near a highway as the March for Justice made their way to Istanbul, Turkey, July 7, 2017. Emin Ozmen—Magnum for TIME
TURKEY, Sakarya, On the road, Erdogan’s supporters taunted the marchers. They protest and shout slogans to the cortege of Justice March. The President Erdogan accuses the walkers and CHP leader of supporting terrorism and Gulenists. Turkey's main opposition party CHP (Republican People’s Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu started to walk from Ankara to Istanbul for Justice on 16th June and thousands of people support him. 2017
Supporters of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan taunt demonstrators walking in protest of the government of President Erdogan who accuses the demonstrators, led by opposition leader CHP, (Republican People’s Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, of supporting terrorism and Gulenists, Sakarya, Turkey, July 1, 2017. Emin Ozmen—Magnum for TIME
TURKEY, Sakarya, Workers watch and record videos of the cortege of Justice March. Turkey's main opposition party CHP (Republican People’s Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu started to walk from Ankara to Istanbul for Justice on 16th June and thousands of people support him. 2017
Workers watch and record videos of the Justice March procession, Sakarya, Turkey, July 2, 2017. Turkey's main opposition party CHP (Republican People’s Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu began walking from Ankara to Istanbul on June 15th to protest the arrest of more than 47,000 people over the last year, since the attempted coup of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 15, 2016. EMIN OZMEN—Emin Ozmen / MAGNUM PHOTOS
TURKEY, Kocaeli / Kartepe. Villagers support the cortege of Justice March near the highway. There had been surprising shows of support along the march route, from honking cars and clusters of well-wishers, even in Duzce, a stronghold for Erdogan’s supporters. Turkey's main opposition party CHP (Republican People’s Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu walks with thousands of supporters during Justice March, which had started to walk for Justice from Ankara to Istanbul on 16th June. 2017
Villagers support the Justice March near the highway in Kartepe, Turkey as protestors make their way from Ankara to Istanbul, July 2, 2017. There were a surprising number of well-wishers along the march route, including in Duzce, a stronghold for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Emin Ozmen—Magnum for TIME
TURKEY, Sakarya/Hendek, Turkish police escorts the people during Justice March. The walker and the leader received threats. Erdogan accused Kilicdaroglu of staging “protests to protect terrorists and those who support terrorism”. At a weekend meeting of his ruling AK party, Erdogan said the CHP’s latest stance “had gone beyond being a political opposition and taken on a different proportion".Responding to Erdogan’s accusations, Kilicdaroglu said they were “fitting for a dictator”.Turkey's main opposition party CHP (Republican People’s Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu started to walk for Justice from Ankara to Istanbul on 16th June and thousands of people joined him. 2017
Turkish police escort protestors during the Justice March in Hendek, Turkey, July 1, 2017. The leader of the march, Turkey's main opposition party CHP (Republican People’s Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu received threats after starting the walk June 15, 2017 in Ankara. President Erdogan accused Kilicdaroglu of staging “protests to protect terrorists and those who support terrorism." Responding to Erdogan’s accusations, Kilicdaroglu said they were “fitting for a dictator”. Emin Ozmen—Magnum for TIME
TURKEY, Sakarya. Turkish soldiers rests near stream during the break time at Justice March. More the march approaches Istanbul, more risks of confrontation are high. Erdogan accused Kilicdaroglu of staging “protests to protect terrorists and those who support terrorism”. At a weekend meeting of his ruling AK party, Erdogan said the CHP’s latest stance “had gone beyond being a political opposition and taken on a different proportion".Responding to Erdogan’s accusations, Kilicdaroglu said they were “fitting for a dictator”.2017
Turkish soldiers rest near a stream. Participants in the Justice March from Ankara to Istanbul also take a break nearby, Sakarya, Turkey, July 2, 2017. Emin Ozmen—Magnum for TIME
TURKEY, Kocaeli / Kartepe. Women  watch the cortege of Justice March near the highway. Turkey's main opposition party CHP (Republican People’s Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu walks with thousands of supporters during Justice March, which had started to walk for Justice from Ankara to Istanbul on 16th June. 2017
Women watch the Justice March proceed along the highway in Kartepe, Turkey, as the opposition party CHP (Republican People’s Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu walked with thousands of supporters from Ankara to Istanbul, July 2, 2017.Emin Ozmen—Magnum for TIME
TURKEY, Sakarya, People rest during break time at Justice March. Since last week, Turkey has been suffering one of the most intense heat waves in a century. In this hear, the thousands of people are taking part in shifts in the “justice march” of main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. They are struggling under the burning sun over their head and also the melting asphalt under their feet. 2017
People take a break during the Justice March, Sakarya,Turkey, July 2, 2017. Turkey has been suffering one of the most intense heat waves in a century. In this heat, thousands of people walk in shifts, led by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. EMIN OZMEN—Emin Ozmen / MAGNUM PHOTOS
TURKEY, Sakarya, A man sleeps with a Turkish flag on his face, on the field during break time at Justice March. Since last week, Turkey has been suffering one of the most intense heat waves in a century. In this hear, the thousands of people are taking part in shifts in the “justice march” of main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. They are struggling under the burning sun over their head and also the melting asphalt under their feet. 2017
A man sleeps covering his face with a Turkish flag during a break in the Justice March, led by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, July 2, 2017.Emin Ozmen—Magnum for TIME
TURKEY. Istanbul. 2017. Turkey's main opposition party CHP (Republican People's Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu arrives in istanbul with thousands of supporters after 24 days Justice March, which he had started to walk for Justice from Ankara to Istanbul on 16th June.
Turkey's main opposition party CHP (Republican People's Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu arrives in istanbull with thousands of supporters after 24 days of participating in the Justice March which began in Ankara on June 15, 2017. Emin Ozmen—Magnum for TIME
TURKEY. Istanbul. 2017. The head of Turkey's secularist Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu enters to Istanbul with thousands of supporters after the 23 days of Justice march. He stands near the Istanbul sign and frees doves at the entrance of Istanbul
The head of Turkey's secularist Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu, enters Istanbul with thousands of supporters after the walking from Ankara leading the Justice March. He stands near the sign for the city where he released doves. Emin Ozmen—Magnum for TIME
TURKEY. Istanbul. A man with a Turkish flag on, records the Justice march with his mobile phone near the highway.
A man wearing a Turkish flag records the Justice March with his mobile phone near the highway, as they enter Istanbul after 3 weeks of walking from Ankara to protest the more then 47,000 people who have been arrested by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the last year since the attempted coup of July 15, 2016. Emin Ozmen—Magnum for TIME
A massive crowd listens as the leader of Turkey’s mainstream opposition, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, issued a thunderous demand in Istanbul on July 9, 2017, for an end to an ongoing government crackdown under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
People wave flags during an anti-government rally in the Maltepe district in Istanbul, July 9, 2017. More than two million people gathered in Istanbul at the end of the 3 week Justice March led by the main opposition leader Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The rally represented the largest public display of opposition to the clampdown by Erdogan's government since he survived a failed military coup attempt nearly a year ago.Emin Ozmen—Magnum Photos for TIME

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