site.btaTurkyie's Main Opposition Party Holds Another Mass Rally in Istanbul's Beylikduzu Municipality

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered on Wednesday night at a protest rally in Istanbul's Beylikduzu neighbourhood against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and other mayors from Turkiye's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). The rally was called at the initiative of the party.

It was the second rally of the protest that the CHP announced it would organize every Wednesday in a different municipality of the megalopolis, the Demiroren Haber Ajansı news agency reported.

Beylikduzu Mayor Murat Calık was arrested on March 19 along with Imamoglu and several other mayors on corruption charges. 

There were also many participants from the municipalities of Sile, Uskudar, Avcilar at the rally.

Participants carried flags and posters of Imamoglu, chanting "Freedom for our presidential candidate", "We want a fair trial", "Resignation", TV Sozcu reported. 

Berkay Gezgin of the Istanbul Metropolitan Council read an address from Imamoglu to the youths taking part in the protest rallies, some of whom are still in prison.

Speaking at the rally, CHP leader Ozgur Ozel criticized judicial practices and said that no one can be arrested on the basis of secret witness statements, referring to the investigation against Imamoglu, who is in custody.

"Imamoglu is the only candidate of the CHP for the presidency. We will not stop until we break this junta, until justice prevails, until Ekrem Imamoglu is released from prison and our other mayors, until new elections are scheduled," Ozel said.

He said that the CHP "says yes to (the) 'Turkiye without terror' initiative, to a trial without imprisonment and to Imamoglu's trial being broadcast live on (Turkiye's) public TRT television and radio ".

Meanwhile, the first hearing in the case to annul the 38th Ordinary Congress of the Republican People's Party, held on November 4-5 2023 at which Ozgur Ozel was elected party leader will take place today at a court in Ankara president, the Milliyet newspaper reported.

There are speculations that if the congress is cancelled, the state may appoint an interim head of the CHP.