Jailed Istanbul mayor Imamoglu joins new opposition party amid political turmoil

Ankara: Jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said on Wednesday he was joining the newly formed New Party, after a court order removed the leadership of his former Republican People's Party (CHP) amid an unprecedented legal crackdown on the opposition.

Last month, Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel and 90 other breakaway lawmakers launched a new political ‌party, seeking ⁠to ⁠regroup to challenge President Tayyip Erdogan after a court ousted Ozel as CHP chairman and reinstated the party's divisive former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

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"I am resigning from my 17-year membership ​of the Republican People's Party. This decision is a result of the values I believe regarding the future of our country and the responsibility ​I carry towards our people," Imamoglu said ⁠in a ‌statement on X.

"Today, we are opening a NEW path to build a stronger, more democratic and more hopeful future for Turkey," ⁠he said, referring to the New Party.

Imamoglu, Erdogan's main ​political rival, has been jailed for more than ​a year pending trial on corruption charges that he denies.

He was elected as the CHP's presidential candidate in an internal party vote days after his detention in March 2025. His university diploma, which is a requirement for being a presidential candidate, was annulled by Istanbul University a ‌day before he was detained.

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The New Party - already the second-largest party in parliament - is expected to attract most CHP voters ​and pose ​a new-look challenge for ⁠Erdogan. However, the broader splintering of the opposition could boost the president's prospects of extending his 23-year reign in the NATO-member country and regional military ​power.

The next elections are scheduled for 2028 but could be held earlier.

The opposition and some rights groups have called the crackdown, including the jailing of hundreds of elected CHP officials and members since 2024, politically motivated and undemocratic. The government denies this and says the judiciary is independent.