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Ozel Urges President Erdogan to Call Early Election ‘by November at the Latest’ Amid Largest Anti-Government Protests in Over a Decade
Ozgur Ozel has been re-elected as the leader of Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), during an extraordinary convention held in Ankara, the capital.
On Sunday, Ozel reiterated his commitment to fighting for the release of jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and other mayors who have been accused of corruption, aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and leading a criminal organization.
He also called for the presidential election, currently scheduled for 2028, to be brought forward to “no later than November” this year. Ozel stated that Imamoglu would be the CHP’s presidential candidate in this early election.
Convention Date Moved Up
More than 1,300 CHP delegates gathered for the convention to elect the party’s main executive bodies and chairperson. Ozel, the sole candidate for the leadership position, secured his seat with the support of 1,171 delegates.
Originally, the convention had been planned for November. According to Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Ankara, the party typically holds such conventions every two years. However, the date was moved up to Sunday to prevent an alleged attempt to appoint a trustee to the party, as prosecutors investigate claims of irregularities.
“The party made an urgent decision to hold this congress,” Koseoglu said. “Given the unrest following Imamoglu’s arrest, there has been significant support for the opposition from various segments of society.” She added that the party is striving to win over voters across the nation.
‘Protests Will Continue’
In his address, Ozel praised the massive demonstrations triggered by Imamoglu’s arrest last month, calling them “the greatest motion of censure in history.” Imamoglu is widely seen as the greatest political threat to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Ozel urged all CHP members, delegates, and executives to remain united and continue the political struggle through all available means.
“We will continue our rallies and protests in the coming days,” he said. “Every weekend, we will be in a provincial city, and every Wednesday, we will hold night rallies in one of Istanbul’s districts. We are starting in Samsun next week.”
In the aftermath of Imamoglu’s arrest, the CHP mobilized tens of thousands of protesters in Istanbul and other cities to condemn the government’s actions.
Erdogan has denied that the charges against Imamoglu are politically motivated, previously accusing him of being a pawn of foreign interests. The president has labeled the ongoing protests as “a movement of violence” and accused CHP leaders of “shielding those who attack police with stones and axes,” citing over 100 police officers injured during the rallies.
In response, Turkish authorities have cracked down on the protests, detaining nearly 2,000 people. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc has defended the judiciary’s independence, rejecting claims of political bias and asserting that Erdogan had no influence on Imamoglu’s arrest.
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