The Guardian view on Turkey’s protests: a rejection of Erdoğan’s autocracy | Editorial

The arrest of Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem mamolu, was a turning point for those already angered at political repression and a cost of living crisis

The tens of thousands who have taken to Turkey's streets over the last week are not all supporters of Ekrem mamolu, the jailed political rival of PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoan. They are outraged because they believe that the arrest of Istanbul's mayor is a tipping point, with the country sliding fromauthoritarian democracy to outright autocracy.

Authorities have now arrested more than 1,400 protesters, including numerous photojournalists. They are clamping down on coverage of a movement that Mr Erdoan describes as evil", but which is driven by anger at cumulative political repression and the parlous state of the economy.