Istanbul Governor Davut Gül reacts to 'disproportionate force' reports

Istanbul Governor Davut Gül made a statement regarding the protests organized by citizens to react to the investigations launched into corruption and terrorism allegations, which led to the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Reacting to reports of police using disproportionate force against citizens, Governor Gül argued in a post on his X account that law enforcement officers were intervening to the necessary extent.

Describing the protest actions as a "dirty scheme," Gül used the following expressions in his post on his X account:

"Provocateurs who incite our citizens to clash with our security forces and those who become tools for them are committing a clear crime. Our security forces intervene when necessary and to the necessary extent for the peace of our fellow citizens. There is no way for this dirty scheme! Both the pawns and the puppets will be held accountable before the judiciary."

Vatandaşlarımızı kışkırtıp güvenlik güçlerimizle çatıştıran provokatörler ve onlara alet olanlar açık bir suç işlemektedir.

Güvenlik kuvvetlerimiz, hemşehrilerimizin huzuru için gerekli durumlarda, gereken ölçüde müdahalede bulunmaktadır.

Bu kirli tezgâha asla geçit yok! Hem…

— Davut GÜL (@gul_davut) March 22, 2025

On the other hand, the moments when a police officer delivered a flying kick to a protester carrying a flag with a picture of Atatürk in Saraçhane had drawn public backlash.

News Source: AA