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Despite His Detention, Republican People's Party Nominates Imamoglu for 2028 Presidential Election
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The Republican People's Party maintains support for Imamoglu despite his arrest, confirming him as their 2028 presidential candidate
The Turkish city of Istanbul has witnessed unprecedented protests following the arrest of its mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, who is considered President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most prominent political rival.
Angry demonstrations erupted in several areas amid heavy security presence and clashes between protesters and police officers, who resorted to forcibly dispersing them and arresting dozens.
The Republican People's Party, Turkey's main opposition party, announced that Imamoglu will remain their candidate in the presidential elections scheduled for 2028, despite his detention on corruption charges he strongly denies. The party considers the case politically motivated and aimed at undermining the opposition.
In contrast, Turkish authorities denied these allegations, asserting that the judiciary is independent and that the arrests came as part of investigations related to "forming and leading a criminal organization," according to an official statement.
Security authorities emphasized that they will not tolerate any "acts of sabotage," accusing some protesters of damaging public property.
In a related context, Turkish authorities arrested nine journalists, including a photographer working for Agence France-Presse, which sparked widespread condemnation from the journalists' union, which denounced attempts to "silence the media" and demanded the immediate release of the detainees.
As protests continue, the Republican People's Party continues its political movements. Party leader Özgür Özel held a meeting with opposition leaders to discuss ways to respond to what he described as "targeting democratically elected municipalities," while Imamoglu called on his supporters to continue protesting peacefully against what he described as "political repression."
This crisis appears to constitute a real test for the political landscape in Turkey, as internal and external pressures escalate amid a sharp division between government supporters and the opposition.
