Jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu Nominated Turkey’s Opposition Presidential Candidate

Istanbul’s embattled mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, has been officially nominated as the presidential candidate for the 2028 elections by Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP). A party spokesperson confirmed the nomination to AFP on Monday, following a primary election held on Sunday.

Arrest and Political Fallout

The CHP, Turkey’s second-largest party in parliament and the primary opposition force, conducted the primary election in which Imamoglu was the sole candidate. His nomination positions him as the main political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the upcoming election cycle.

Imamoglu’s nomination comes amid a dramatic series of events that have seen him arrested, interrogated, jailed, and stripped of his mayorship in under a week. The crackdown stems from a graft and terrorism-related investigation that opposition figures have decried as a politically motivated “coup.”

Despite these challenges, Imamoglu has remained defiant. On Sunday, March 23, he was jailed and subsequently removed from office, a move that has ignited Turkey’s most significant street protests in over a decade.

Protests and Public Outcry Over Ekrem Imamoglu Arrest

For the fifth consecutive evening, tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside Istanbul’s City Hall in a demonstration of solidarity. Addressing the massive crowd, Imamoglu’s wife, Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, delivered an impassioned message to the authorities.

“He will defeat you! You will lose!” she declared from the stage. “The injustice Ekrem faced… It’s struck a chord with every conscience. Everyone found something of themselves and the injustices they faced in what was done to Ekrem.”

Imamoglu, arrested in a pre-dawn raid by hundreds of police officers, was transferred to Silivri Prison on Istanbul’s western outskirts on Sunday. In a statement shared on X via his lawyers, he condemned the proceedings against him, calling them “not a judicial procedure, but a political execution without trial.”

CHP Primary and Massive Support for Ekrem Imamoglu

Even as Imamoglu faced legal troubles, the CHP proceeded with its long-planned primary election, formally selecting him as its presidential candidate for 2028. The party expanded participation beyond its 1.7 million members, allowing any citizen to cast a vote.

According to party officials, an astounding 15 million people participated in the vote. “Out of a total of 15 million votes, 13,211,000 were solidarity votes from non-party members,” they stated, highlighting the widespread public support for Imamoglu.

Also Read: Who Is Ekrem Imamoglu, Why Was Turkey Mayor Arrested?