Yasin Eken and his cameraman were assaulted while covering protests in support of the jailed mayor of Istanbul
RT correspondent Yasin Eken has said he and his cameraman were beaten and pepper sprayed by Turkish riot police while covering protests in Istanbul on Sunday night, calling the officers’ actions “unnecessary and uncivil.”
The incident occurred as Eken was reporting on demonstrations in support of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was detained last week on corruption and terrorism charges.
In a video filmed after the altercation, Eken said the officers approached his crew without warning and used force despite clearly visible press credentials. He added that a group of officers tore off his cameraman’s gas mask and press card before spraying him in the face and dragging him away.
“We were surrounded by some officers and they tore off the mask from my cameraman, and after doing that they used this tear gas to spray him… He was beaten by police and dragged by five or six different officers,” Eken said. When he attempted to intervene, he was also assaulted.
“This wasn’t just intervention, this wasn’t a form of self-defense – they were deliberately beating us, and they knew we were members of the press.”
Both Eken and his cameraman sustained injuries and asked for medical assistance. He said he later confronted the officers, who tried to justify their actions by claiming they had previously been assaulted by protesters.
“That’s not justification for the action that was relayed, particularly [against] members of the press… because truth be told, we’re not here to tell any specific narrative, we’re here to report on what’s happening,” Eken said, adding that he also confronted a police chief who dismissed his complaint as well.
Sunday’s demonstration marked the fifth consecutive day of unrest across Türkiye following Imamoglu’s arrest. The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has called for nationwide protests demanding his release and condemning what they claim is a politically motivated prosecution.
Imamoglu, the CHP’s presumed candidate for the 2028 presidential election, was formally arrested by an Istanbul court on Sunday pending trial and was suspended from his office as mayor.
Protests have erupted in Istanbul, Ankara, and other major cities, with riot police using tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds. According to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, more than 300 people have been detained as of Sunday morning. Multiple injuries have also been reported, with videos posted online showing officers clashing with demonstrators across the country.
