On March 31, 2026, a raid was conducted against members of the Pensioners’ Assembly who were protesting to demand that pension payments be adjusted according to actual inflation and that the minimum pension be raised to the poverty line. As part of an investigation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, 7 of the 12 individuals detained were arrested on April 4 on charges of “membership in an organization,” while 5 were released under judicial supervision. The retirees’ participation in marches, press statements, and social media calls were cited as grounds for the charges; in their statements, they asserted that they had carried out the actions of their own volition. Ekrem İmamoğlu’s name also appeared in the case file as part of the investigation, and connections were drawn based on recorded conversations.
January 5, 2026
Medyascope
