İmamoğlu Officially Nominated for Turkish Presidency Amid Arrest and Protests

Suspended Istanbul Mayor and opposition figure Ekrem İmamoğlu has officially been nominated as the Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate for the presidency of Türkiye, Orda.kz reports, citing Sözcü.

The announcement came following the conclusion of the party’s primary vote, in which around 15 million Turkish citizens participated — nearly a quarter of the country's electorate. İmamoğlu received over 13.2 million votes.

CHP leader Özgür Özel called on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to announce early elections and personally face off against İmamoğlu at the polls.

Thousands of opposition supporters have rallied outside Istanbul’s city hall, condemning the charges against İmamoğlu as politically motivated.

İmamoğlu was arrested on March 19 on allegations of leading a criminal organization and corruption. Turkish state agency Anadolu also reported that he is suspected of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party,* banned in Kazakstan, — accusations that İmamoğlu firmly denies. 

On March 23, a court ordered his pre-trial detention. The same day, Türkiye’s Interior Ministry officially suspended him from his duties as mayor. The Istanbul Municipal Council, where CHP holds the majority, is expected to appoint an acting mayor in the coming days.

Protests have continued for five consecutive days, with demonstrators demanding İmamoğlu’s release and denouncing the government’s crackdown as undemocratic.

Original Author: Rustam Muratov

*The Kurdistan Workers’ Party is recognized as a terrorist organization in Kazakhstan