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WorldPosted at: Mar 19 2025 6:35PM


Turkish party leader calls on oppn to boycott election if Erdogan runs again

Ankara, Mar 19 (UNI) The leader of Turkey's Good Party, Musavat Dervisoglu, on Wednesday urged the opposition to boycott the next presidential election if incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan puts forward his candidacy.
Earlier in the day, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said that the city's opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, had been detained in connection with a case involving an organization engaged in corruption, bribery and graft. Imamoglu, who is widely expected to field his candidacy in the next presidential election, has said that he "does not intend to give in" to pressure from the authorities. Security measures have been stepped up on a number of central streets in Istanbul, including outside the police headquarters, with social media experiencing disruptions amid Imamoglu's detention.
"Starting today, the right to vote and to be elected, freedom, democracy, law and constitutional rights are suspended in Turkey. If Erdogan becomes a candidate again, the entire opposition must boycott the election. We will stand straight, like Ataturk [the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal]," Dervisoglu said, whose speech was broadcast on local TV channels.
The Turkish Prosecutor General's Office has sent a request to Istanbul University to verify the authenticity and legal validity of Imamoglu's diploma in business management. Law enforcement officials have raised suspicions regarding possible violations during Imamoglu's transfer to Istanbul from a university in Northern Cyprus, as the educational institution on the island was not officially recognized by Turkey at the time. Imamoglu has provided testimony on this matter.
Imamoglu is currently the only candidate from the opposition in the primaries of the largest opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), and is seen as the main rival of Erdogan, in the event of his renomination (which is possible only in the case of a snap presidential election with the consent of 360 deputies in parliament). Additionally, the Turkish constitution allows only individuals with completed higher education to run for the presidency.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc has said that Erdogan might run for a third term if the parliament votes for a snap election. At least 360 votes are needed to call an election. The CHP holds 127 seats, while the ruling alliance of the Justice and Development Party and the Nationalist Movement Party has 315.
In 2017, Turkey became a presidential republic following a referendum. Under the constitution, a president can serve no more than two consecutive terms. In May 2023, Erdogan was reelected for a second five-year term. Opposition parties insisted this was his third term, since Erdogan was president from 2014-2018 while Turkey was still a parliamentary republic.
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