One month after the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, considered President Tayyip Recep Erdogan's main opponent, his Republican People's Party (CHP) continues to mobilise not only Istanbul residents but Turks across the country at twice-weekly rallies. For many, the student-led mobilisation goes beyond this arrest, however symbolic it may be: it is a matter of democracy and respect for the rule of law.

On 16 April, the CHP organised a rally in Beylidüzü, a neighbourhood in western Istanbul. It is a symbolic place, because it is here that the political career of the mayor of Istanbul began. The current mayor, Murat Çalık (RNP), was arrested on the same day as Ekrem Imamoglu.

Istanbul City Hall, located in the historic centre where the largest demonstrations took place, is an hour and a half away by public transport. So this 'home' rally is also an opportunity to talk to those who were unable to travel. And this rally, unlike the first demonstrations outside City Hall, ended peacefully.

In 2014. Ekrem Imamoglu succeeded in being elected in this district, taking over from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the party of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "We were very happy, my daughters even worked for him, watching over the ballot boxes," recalls Kandan, a long-time resident of the area.

Kandan has only kind words to say about Ekrem Imamoglu: "He made this park," she explains, looking around. This green space between tall buildings fills up as soon as the weather is nice - for family picnics. One of the many lawsuits against Istanbul's mayor relates to his first term in this area. In a trial that has been continually delayed, he was accused of "bid rigging" in 2015, which he has always denied.

This "Valley of Life" has another symbolic meaning. It was there, on May 6, 2019, that Ekrem Imamoglu denounced the injustice of which he was a victim. At the time, the government had just annulled his election as mayor of Istanbul, an action that ultimately only strengthened his candidacy. A few weeks later, he won by a much wider margin, ending the rule of Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party over the city.

The scene at the Beylidüzü rally is a reference to this speech, in which, after removing his jacket and tie, Ekrem Imamoglu rolls up his sleeves and addresses the crowd with his hands raised: "Our road is long, our enthusiasm is great, we are young. We are the youth of Turkey - hungry for justice, full of faith in democracy. A speech that has become a symbol that rings even louder today.

"All the streets were full," recalls Kandan, who sees a similarity between the annulment of Istanbul's first mayoral election and his arrest six years later. "At the end of the letter, Ekrem Imamoglu writes: "Either justice or captivity... We have no other way out. Either justice or misery..." | BGNES