Ekrem İmamoğlu, the former mayor of Istanbul and recently imprisoned, emerged victorious in the preliminary election for the Republican People’s Party (CHP) presidential candidate, which took place on Sunday, March 23.
The unexpectedly high voter turnout, especially for the “solidarity ballot” from non-party members, shattered all predictions, with sources from the party indicating that nearly 15 million people participated.
The ballots set up by the CHP across Turkey to elect İmamoğlu as the party’s candidate in the upcoming presidential elections became a symbolic referendum not only in favor of the imprisoned former Istanbul mayor but also against President Erdoğan.
Of the 15 million votes İmamoğlu received, 13.2 million came from non-CHP members who wished to demonstrate their opposition to the authoritarianism of the Turkish president.
It remains uncertain whether the momentum behind the protests in support of İmamoğlu will continue, as this will likely depend on how harshly President Erdoğan decides to suppress them.
However, the 15 million votes are a figure Erdoğan cannot ignore, especially the 13 million-plus votes İmamoğlu garnered from non-CHP members, which shows just how broad his support base has become beyond the traditional Kemalist electorate.
“We will all dismantle this coup together, this dark stain on our democracy,” İmamoğlu declared, calling for protests on Sunday following his arrest on charges of corruption.
The 54-year-old İmamoğlu was detained on Wednesday, just one day after Istanbul University revoked his degree, which is a necessary requirement for running for president. Following this, he was formally arrested and charged with corruption, while he was also dismissed from his position as mayor.
