Turkey’s leading opposition figure announced on Sunday plans for continued protests against the imprisonment of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is the primary challenger to President Tayyip Erdogan. This initiative seeks to maintain the momentum of Turkey’s largest demonstrations in over ten years.
The protests commenced on March 19, following Imamoglu’s arrest on corruption allegations. Many protesters, along with opposition parties, European leaders, and human rights organizations, have characterized this action as politically motivated and undemocratic.
The government refutes any claims of interference with the judiciary, asserting that the courts operate independently.
During an extraordinary congress where he was re-elected as party leader, CHP head Ozgur Ozel announced that the party would hold protests against Imamoglu’s imprisonment in a different city each weekend, along with rallies in various districts of Istanbul on Wednesday evenings.
This extraordinary congress was convened after the CHP indicated that authorities intended to appoint a trustee to oversee the party due to a prosecutor’s investigation into alleged irregularities from its last congress in 2023.
Following Imamoglu’s detention, the party organized significant rallies outside the Istanbul Municipality building every evening for a week and held a large demonstration in the Maltepe district last weekend.
Hundreds of thousands of Turks, including university students from across the country, have responded to the opposition’s call for protests. While the demonstrations have largely remained peaceful, nearly 2,000 individuals have been detained, with around 300 currently in custody awaiting trial.
Ozel also spoke at a rally near the congress venue in Ankara after his re-election, reiterating the party’s demand for early elections.
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Although no general election is set until 2028, if Erdogan intends to run again, parliamentary approval would be necessary for an earlier election, as he will reach his term limit by then. Imamoglu is currently leading Erdogan in some opinion polls.
Additionally, the CHP has initiated a symbolic signature campaign advocating for Imamoglu’s release and early elections, with Ozel reporting that over 7 million signatures have been collected.
