CHP slams detention of Istanbul mayor as civilian coup

ANKARA

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chair Özgür Özel has described the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu over allegations of corruption and alleged terror links as a civilian coup against “Türkiye’s next president.”

Özel convened his party’s executive board in Ankara in the early hours of March 19, right after İmamoğlu was detained by police in Istanbul. He later went to Istanbul to lend support to İmamoğlu, who was taken to the police headquarters.

“We are facing a coup against our next president,” Özel wrote on his social media account, obviously referring to the CHP primaries for the election of the main opposition’s presidential candidate in which İmamoğlu stands as the sole contender.

Özel announced that the primaries will still be held on March 23 with the participation of more than 1.5 million CHP members.

Criticizing the government for usurping the will of the people who have elected İmamoğlu as the mayor of Türkiye’s largest metropolitan with more than 16 million residents, Özel said, “The real power is the people. In the end, the people win. We won’t surrender.”

Özel underlined that public opinion surveys display that the CHP is the first party well ahead of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). “It is well seen that İmamoğlu will beat President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the presidential polls. He has already won four times against the candidates nominated by Erdoğan,” the CHP chairman stressed.

Özel also vowed that those who orchestrate “this coup” will be held accountable.

In Istanbul, Özel paid a visit to İmamoğlu’s spouse, Dilek İmamoğlu and expressed his support to the family of the detained mayor before going to the Istanbul Municipality to join the protests.

Upon the call by the CHP headquarters, the main opposition party has organized protests across the country in front of the party offices with the participation of the party members.

At the parliament, the CHP lawmakers protested the move as all of them occupied the rostrum.

“What is happening today is no different from the coups Türkiye had experienced in the past. March 19 went down in history as the day a new coup took place,” deputy parliamentary group leader Mahir Ali Başarır said, blaming the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) for ruining Turkish democracy.