Imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Joins the 'New Party'

Ankara (Reuters) – Imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu announced his joining of the newly formed “New Party,” following a court order dismissing the leadership of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), to which he previously belonged, amid an unprecedented judicial campaign against the opposition in Turkey.

In a statement on the X platform, Imamoglu said, “I am resigning from the Republican People’s Party after 17 years of membership. This decision stems from the values I hold regarding our country’s future and the responsibility I bear toward our people.”

Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival, has been detained for over a year awaiting trial on corruption charges that he denies. He was elected as the party’s presidential candidate in an internal vote days after his arrest in March 2025. Istanbul University had revoked his university degree, a requirement for presidential candidacy, the day before his arrest.

The “New Party,” already the second-largest party in parliament, is expected to attract most CHP voters and pose a new challenge to Erdogan.

However, the deepest split within the opposition could bolster the president’s chances of extending his 23-year rule over Turkey.

The next elections are scheduled for 2028, but they could be held earlier. The opposition and some human rights organizations have described the legal campaign, which has seen hundreds of CHP officials and elected members imprisoned since 2024, as undemocratic and politically motivated. The government denies this, asserting that “the judiciary is independent.”