Jailed Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu joins new Turkish opposition party
Ekrem İmamoğlu, jailed Istanbul mayor, has left his old party for the newly formed opposition New Party in hope "to build a stronger, more democratic and more hopeful future for Turkey".
Istanbul (dpa) - Jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has joined Turkey's newly formed opposition New Party after a court removed the leader of İmamoğlu's former Republican People's Party (CHP), saying it was no longer possible to pursue politics within the party.
İmamoğlu, considered President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's top potential political rival, said on X and Instagram that he was leaving the CHP after 17 years to pursue a "new path."
"Today we are setting out on a new path to build a stronger, more democratic and more hopeful future for Turkey," İmamoğlu said, calling on his supporters to join the new party.
He criticized a court ruling that removed CHP leader Özgür Özel from his post, calling the decision a violation of democratic standards and a "black mark" in Turkey's history.
The ruling in May reinstated Özel's predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, following a legal challenge to the CHP's 2023 congress over alleged irregularities.
Özel rejected the move as politically motivated and later founded the New Party. A majority of CHP lawmakers joined the new party while retaining their parliamentary mandates, making it the largest opposition group in parliament.
İmamoğlu has been in pre-trial detention since March 2025 over corruption allegations and was removed as Istanbul mayor. His supporters say the case is politically motivated and intended to sideline a leading potential challenger to Erdoğan.
The government denies interfering in the judiciary.