The leader of the largest opposition party in Turkey - the Republican People's Party (CHP) - Özgür Özel called for a mass protest in front of Istanbul University in support of the arrested mayor of Istanbul Ekrem İmamoğlu and in protest against the cancellation of his diploma. This was reported by the publication “Türkiye Today“, reports BTA.
During yesterday's meeting of the CHP parliamentary group, Özel invited the party's supporters to gather tonight at 8:30 p.m. on “Bayezid“ Square, in front of the Istanbul University building.
The call for protest came after Turkish media reported that İmamoğlu's diploma, which was canceled on March 18 by Istanbul University, had been completely deleted from the institution's database. Earlier that day, İmamoğlu's lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, filed an official appeal against the university's decision.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained on March 19 along with several members of the HDP. On March 23, a court extended his detention on corruption charges, and just days later, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality removed him from office and appointed Nuri Aslan as interim mayor.
İmamoğlu's arrest sparked a wave of protests across the country, with clashes with police and new arrests in some places. However, he was nominated as the official candidate of the HDP for the upcoming presidential election.
The opposition has launched a petition demanding the immediate release of Imamoglu and the holding of early presidential elections instead of waiting for the regular vote scheduled for 2028.