Over 15 million people voted in support of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu amid significant protests following his arrest.
Highlighting increasing national backing, the CHP announced on Monday night that around 1.7 million party members were joined by 13 million non-members in endorsing Imamoglu as their candidate for the upcoming 2028 presidential election.
Widespread demonstrations erupted after Imamoglu, viewed as a major contender against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was detained on Wednesday. These protests intensified after he was formally imprisoned on Sunday, fueling the unrest.
Erdogan’s detractors claim the approaching primary elections instigated his arrest, leading to such sizable participation that voting had to be extended by three and a half hours.
Erdogan’s government denies any political motivation behind Imamoglu’s arrest, maintaining that Turkiye’s judicial system operates independently.
Mehmet Celik from the pro-government Daily Sabah newspaper stated that the CHP and its supporters must address “serious allegations” against Imamoglu.
However, the CHP reinforced its assertions as it declared Imamoglu its official candidate.
“Votes for Ekrem Imamoglu from our members and the solidarity votes exceeded 14 million 850 thousand,” CHP chairman Ozgur Ozel posted on X. “Today’s results have severely challenged Erdogan’s legitimacy and made the demand for an early election more inevitable. Let’s come forward and face this challenge!”
‘Truly content’
On Sunday, an Istanbul court officially ordered Imamoglu’s incarceration pending trial on corruption charges, following his detention the previous week, which sparked nationwide protests. Separately, the court dismissed an anti-terrorism charge against him.
Imamoglu was moved to Marmara Prison near Istanbul’s Silivri district on Sunday. He has denied all accusations and is calling for more nationwide protests.
In a statement from prison, Imamoglu expressed his “deep contentment” over the “unprecedented” turnout at the primary elections.
In another statement on X, Ozel also protested against efforts to “silence” the opposition, as the government sought to close numerous social media accounts on the X platform through the BTK communications authority.
The company, owned by Elon Musk, which advocates for free speech, voiced objections to “multiple court orders from the Turkish Information and Communication Technologies Authority to block over 700 accounts of news organizations, journalists, political figures, students, and others in Turkey”.
However, the company also suspended several accounts linked to the opposition. Politico reported that many of these accounts were affiliated with university students organizing the protests.
Turkiye’s Ministry of the Interior mentioned that the authorities discovered hundreds of social media accounts suspected of inciting hatred.
On Sunday night, protesters in Istanbul and Ankara clashed with police. Halk TV in Turkey reported multiple detentions.
On Monday morning, several Turkish media outlets also reported the detention of at least three journalists.
Al Jazeera’s Aksel Zaimovic, reporting from Istanbul, stated that the government has deployed a significant police presence across the city and adjacent areas.
“The authorities claim that this extensive security measure is necessary to maintain public order,” he noted, mentioning that police used tear gas and water cannons against protesters who were throwing flares and bottles.
Tansel Can Emzikli, a video journalist, informed Al Jazeera that at least six police officers assaulted him and began kicking him.
The government of Erdogan has criticized the protesters for provoking unrest.
Turkiye’s Ministry of the Interior has announced the “temporary” suspension from office of Imamoglu due to his detention.
