22
Apr 2025
12:54 UTC
Turkey Tactical: CHP calls for rally in Ankara at 17:00 on April 23; avoid nonessential travel near rally locations
Current Situation:
- On April 23, the People’s Republican Party (CHP) will stage a rally in Ankara’s Cankaya district, starting at 17:00 (local time).
- The procession will begin at the Turkish Grand National Assembly and end at Anitkabir (Ataturk’s Mausoleum).
- The rally, held under the slogan “sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation,” commemorates National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.
- This national holiday marks the establishment of the Turkish Grand Assembly on April 23, 1920.
Source: CHP
Assessments & Forecast:
- The upcoming protest rally comes amid weekly demonstrations organized by the CHP following a call by party chairman Ozgur Ozel. While the scheduled rally is officially being held to mark National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, its broader purpose is to demand the release of former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and to call for early presidential elections. The latest rally follows a wave of large-scale protests since the arrest of Imamoglu, including the March 29 demonstration in Istanbul’s Maltepe district, which the CHP claimed drew 2.2 million participants. However, protest activity has waned in recent weeks. The rally is therefore likely part of the CHP’s strategy to maintain momentum, raise the visibility of their demands, and reinvigorate their national support base.
- FORECAST: Given that the CHP has considerable influence in Ankara and that the city remains a key center of opposition support, the scheduled rally is likely to draw participants in the low to mid-thousands. Turnout will also be supported by the national holiday on April 23 and by heightened political tensions resulting from criminal complaints filed against Ozel by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as the ongoing trials of detained demonstrators. A heightened security presence can be expected near the Grand Assembly to prevent demonstrators from acting in an unruly fashion. However, given heightened tensions, the possibility of clashes between security personnel and protesters may not be ruled out. In such instances, security forces are likely to deploy riot dispersal measures. Traffic disruptions in the vicinity of the protest sites can be expected from the late afternoon onwards.
Recommendations:
- Those operating or residing in Ankara during the evening hours of April 23 are advised to avoid non-essential travel to and around Canakya due to the scheduled rally and the associated risk of unrest.
- Maintain heightened vigilance across Turkey due to the potential for additional gatherings nationwide, including in Ankara and Izmir, in support of Imamoglu and the CHP.
- Avoid the vicinity of anti-government protests associated with Imamoglu’s detention due to the associated risk of unrest and detention.
COUNTRY RISK LEVEL
Medium
AFFECTED AREA
Ankara; Turkey
INCIDENT RISK LEVEL
High
STRENGTH OF SOURCE
Confirmed
Current Situation:
- On April 23, the People’s Republican Party (CHP) will stage a rally in Ankara’s Cankaya district, starting at 17:00 (local time).
- The procession will begin at the Turkish Grand National Assembly and end at Anitkabir (Ataturk’s Mausoleum).
- The rally, held under the slogan “sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation,” commemorates National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.
- This national holiday marks the establishment of the Turkish Grand Assembly on April 23, 1920.
Source: CHP
Assessments & Forecast:
- The upcoming protest rally comes amid weekly demonstrations organized by the CHP following a call by party chairman Ozgur Ozel. While the scheduled rally is officially being held to mark National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, its broader purpose is to demand the release of former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and to call for early presidential elections. The latest rally follows a wave of large-scale protests since the arrest of Imamoglu, including the March 29 demonstration in Istanbul’s Maltepe district, which the CHP claimed drew 2.2 million participants. However, protest activity has waned in recent weeks. The rally is therefore likely part of the CHP’s strategy to maintain momentum, raise the visibility of their demands, and reinvigorate their national support base.
- FORECAST: Given that the CHP has considerable influence in Ankara and that the city remains a key center of opposition support, the scheduled rally is likely to draw participants in the low to mid-thousands. Turnout will also be supported by the national holiday on April 23 and by heightened political tensions resulting from criminal complaints filed against Ozel by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as the ongoing trials of detained demonstrators. A heightened security presence can be expected near the Grand Assembly to prevent demonstrators from acting in an unruly fashion. However, given heightened tensions, the possibility of clashes between security personnel and protesters may not be ruled out. In such instances, security forces are likely to deploy riot dispersal measures. Traffic disruptions in the vicinity of the protest sites can be expected from the late afternoon onwards.
Recommendations:
- Those operating or residing in Ankara during the evening hours of April 23 are advised to avoid non-essential travel to and around Canakya due to the scheduled rally and the associated risk of unrest.
- Maintain heightened vigilance across Turkey due to the potential for additional gatherings nationwide, including in Ankara and Izmir, in support of Imamoglu and the CHP.
- Avoid the vicinity of anti-government protests associated with Imamoglu’s detention due to the associated risk of unrest and detention.
COUNTRY RISK LEVEL
Medium
AFFECTED AREA
Ankara; Turkey
INCIDENT RISK LEVEL
High
STRENGTH OF SOURCE
Confirmed
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ProtestMENA Tactical: Pro-Palestinian protests slated in Morocco, Bahrain, Turkey on May 1-4; maintain heightened vigilance
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