The leader of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Özgür Özel said that the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19 is real proof of Erdogan's fear of losing in possible elections. The statement was made during a rally of thousands in the city of Izmir, reported the newspaper “Birgun“, quoted by BTA.
Hundreds of thousands of people participated yesterday in a rally organized by Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on the coastal square “Gündogdu“ in the city of Izmir. The rally, which was held under the slogan "The People Stand Up for Their Will", is part of a series of demonstrations by the opposition HDP in support of the arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
After Imamoglu's detention on March 19, which sparked mass protests in major cities in Turkey, HDP leader Özgür Özel announced that the opposition would organize a rally in a different part of Istanbul every Wednesday, and in a different district in Turkey every weekend. At the same time, İmamoğlu was chosen as the official candidate for the presidential race by the HDP, and the opposition started a petition demanding his immediate release and holding early presidential elections earlier than the regular ones, which are to be held in 2028.
In front of the gathered crowd, Özel, who arrived by boat at the coastal square “Gündoğdu“, stated that “Izmir is not a fortress of the HDP, but a fortress of the Republic of Turkey.“
In his speech, Özel also addressed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, stating that “İmamoğlu's arrest on March 19 is real proof that Erdoğan is afraid of losing a possible election“, emphasizing that “the people are watching Erdoğan's lies from İzmir”.
“We are not afraid and we will not surrender to your oppression and tyranny“, Özel also said, addressing Turkish President Erdogan again.