CHP values int’l solidarity over its jailed mayors: Özel

ANKARA

The international support and solidarity shown to Türkiye's main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) over the continued crackdown on its elected mayors is very important and valuable, the party chair has said.

Özgür Özel attended the youth branches meeting of the Socialist International in Istanbul on March 27, which gathered 250 young social democrats from 150 countries.

“If we organized this meeting in any other country, the head of our youth branches, Cem Aydın, would not be able to attend it because he is banned from leaving the country by the court. This ban was given just because he retweeted a tweet of mine,” Özel said.

Criticizing the government for launching a legal operation against the party, which saw the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in March 2025, Özel said that 19 CHP mayors are currently behind bars in dozens of cases in which more than 400 party officials are being tried.

“Despite all these operations, as you can see today, the CHP continues its activities without stop and can garner 250 youngsters from 150 countries,” he stated.

The whole world is suffering from backsliding in democracy and fundamental rights and the only way to stand against it is unity and action, Özel stated. “We get courage and power from you. We attach great importance to international solidarity. We want this to continue and increase," he added.

Türkiye will go to the presidential and parliamentary elections in two years, and the CHP will be ready to take over the responsibility for running the country, the CHP leader said.

“One hundred years later, once again, the country’s founding party, the party of [modern Türkiye founder] Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, is on the verge of succeeding by fighting and resisting an authoritarian, oppressive regime,” he said, vowing that this will constitute a very valuable and historic example for the leftist parties all over the world.