Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has officially confirmed Ekrem İmamoğlu as its presidential candidate following the party’s first-ever nationwide primary, held on 23 March. During a major rally in Saraçhane, Istanbul, on Sunday night, CHP leader Özgür Özel announced the turnout numbers with emphasis, declaring: “The number of votes Ekrem İmamoğlu received today is over 14 million 850 thousand.” He added: “We are not afraid. This country is ours. Its people are ours. We are marching with them and for them.”
The results take on added political weight following İmamoğlu’s arrest on 19 March and subsequent suspension from office by the Interior Ministry. Alongside İmamoğlu, Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık and Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan were also suspended. Şişli District Governor Cevdet Ertürkmen has been appointed acting mayor, and the Istanbul Municipal Council will convene on Wednesday to elect a temporary replacement.
The investigation, led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, includes charges of corruption, organised crime, and links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Over 90 people were detained in the sweeping operation. The developments triggered one of the largest waves of political mobilisation in over a decade, with over a million people reportedly taking to the streets across the country.
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Also noteworthy was voter participation in Kurdish-majority provinces, where the election carried symbolic weight. In Diyarbakır (Amed), over 28,000 people cast votes, including 22,000 in solidarity ballots. In Van (Wan), a record 85% turnout was reported, with 14,679 people casting votes, including 9,172 solidarity votes from non-members.
During his speech in Saraçhane, Özel also responded to criticism raised earlier that day at Newroz celebrations in Yenikapı, Istanbul, over remarks made by Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş. Referring to the Cizre Newroz event, Yavaş had said: “Yesterday, in a place in the East, while what I consider rags were waved, police were handing out cotton candy to those attending that rally.”
The comment was widely interpreted as a derogatory reference to Kurdish flags. Acknowledging this, Özel stated: “If anything said by anyone from this platform hurt someone, then asking forgiveness is my responsibility as party leader.” He continued: “I once again celebrate the Newroz of all my Kurdish brothers and sisters. And from here, I send greetings to Selahattin Demirtaş, who lies in Edirne Prison and was his party’s co-chair when first imprisoned.”
Özel’s remarks were seen as a meaningful step in his ongoing, carefully calibrated effort to rebuild trust with Kurdish communities.
