The signatures in support of the presidential candidacy of the ousted mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is in prison in Silivri, have reached 25.1 million, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party, Özgür Özel, told the TV channel “Yol TV“, BTA reports.
A truck loaded with 25.1 million ballots in support of İmamoğlu as a presidential candidate arrived today in the city of Kayseri - the ninth most populous city in Central Turkey.
Today, the seventy-fifth consecutive rally in the series of rallies that the opposition began on March 23 this year, under the banner "We support the will of the nation" to release Imamoglu and all detained opposition mayors from prison, the Cumhuriyet newspaper reported.
Before the rally, on the orders of the local authorities, the flags, posters and other attributes of the opposition HDP were removed, said the chairman of the regional organization, Ümit Özer.
“Together, we have completed a great struggle and reached twenty-five million and one hundred thousand signatures. These signatures are the largest vote of no confidence ever directed at a ruler, a president, in world political history. These signatures are the strongest expression of the democratic reaction of the people," Özgür Özgel told the crowd gathered in the square, the Cumhuriyet newspaper reported.
In his speech, the opposition leader announced that one of the secret witnesses in the corruption case against Ekrem İmamoğlu - Ahmet Taşçı - had voluntarily withdrawn the previously given testimony against İmamoğlu and the other mayors, emphasizing that "these are the methods of AKP justice."
At the same time, Özgür Özgel, as in previous rallies, now called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to schedule early presidential elections in accordance with the will of the people.
"I am speaking from Kayseri. We are here, our candidate is here, the ballot box is here. I challenge you, Erdogan, I challenge you. We challenge you from Kayseri. We will govern this country better. We will make everyone in this country smile," Özel said, as quoted by “Halk TV“.