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The Fatih District Governorate banned a press statement planned for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. near the Iranian Consulate General in Istanbul, citing public order and security concerns amid ongoing protests in Iran.
"It has been determined that calls have been made for a press statement to be held around 1:00 p.m. on Jan. 11, 2026, near the Islamic Republic of Iran Consulate General located within our district boundaries," the governorate said in a statement.
"To maintain public order and prevent possible provocative actions, since it is not among the meeting and press statement areas designated by the Governor's Office according to the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911; considering that it could violate the Highway Traffic Law No. 2918, that the location of the press statement is in front of the consulate building, and that the specified location has high tourist and citizen density, which could negatively affect pedestrian and vehicle traffic, it has been deemed appropriate to BAN the press statement for public order and security reasons," the statement said.
Meanwhile, despite the ban, a group of Iranian nationals living in Istanbul gathered in the city’s Fatih district on Sunday to express support for ongoing protests in Iran.
The group initially sought to stage a demonstration in front of the Iranian Consulate in the Sirkeci neighborhood. However, police informed participants that the Fatih District Governor’s Office had banned the event on public order and security grounds.
Security forces, who had taken precautions in the area, directed the group away from the consulate building. The demonstrators later regrouped at a nearby cafe, where they held a press statement instead.
During the press statement, participants voiced support for the protests in Iran and called for political change.
An Iranian woman who spoke to journalists said she had lived in Iran for 33 years and described repression in the country as severe. She said she was deeply concerned because she had been unable to contact family members due to internet shutdowns imposed during the unrest.
Tensions briefly flared during the gathering when several people at the cafe voiced support for Iran’s current government, leading to a verbal exchange between the two sides. No physical confrontation was reported.
At least 109 Iranian security members were killed during unrest sweeping several parts of the country over the past few days, the Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel reported Sunday, citing Iran's Tasnim News Agency.
The outlet did not specify how many protesters were killed.
There are no official estimates on casualties, but the U.S.-based rights group HRANA put the toll at 116, with over 2,600 detained.
A Tehran doctor, however, told Time magazine on condition of anonymity that six hospitals in the capital recorded "at least 217 protester deaths, most by live ammunition."
Iran has been rocked by anti-government protests since Dec. 28 at Tehran's Grand Bazaar, fueled by the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial and worsening economic conditions.
Demonstrations later spread to several cities across the country.
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