CHP rallies unite democrats across Türkiye: Özel

ANKARA

Rallies organized by the Republican People’s Party (CHP) to protest the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and demand early elections bring together a wide array of political groups, the main opposition party leader Özgür Özel said on April 24.

"We are experiencing a valuable process where social democrats, socialist democrats, conservative democrats, nationalist democrats and Kurdish democrats stand shoulder to shoulder in the squares," Özel told reporters after visiting the Left Party headquarters in Ankara.

The CHP delegation led by Özel included deputy leaders Gül Çiftci, Gamze Taşcıer and Yalçın Karatepe, while the Left Party was represented by party spokespersons Önder İşleyen, İsmail Haklı Tombul, Gizem Özdem and İlknur Başer.

"This process can be continuous and is Türkiye's hope," Özel said. "As the opposition and millions who voted for the government but do not find what is happening today right, our primary demand is democracy and justice."

İmamoğlu was arrested on March 23 as part of a corruption trial, the same day the CHP named him as its candidate for the next presidential elections. His arrest has sparked widespread protests, with the CHP organizing weekly demonstrations in Istanbul and weekend rallies across the country.