CHP vows continued rallies after three mayors’ detention

ANKARA

Republican People’s Party (CHP) will not pause its weekly rallies and continue to protest the crackdown on its mayors, its chairman Özgür Özel has said, repeating his calls for early polls in November.

“We will not stop until the AKP’s (Justice and Development Party) aggression on the CHP ends and our mayors be released pending trial,” Özel said in his weekly address to his party’s parliamentary group on July 8.

Özel recalled that CHP mayors in Antalya, Adana and Adıyaman were recently detained over corruption claims, a move that comes after the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19.

“On March 19, they staged a coup against the future of this country. Coups are staged against the governments but this time they did against the future government,” Özel said, recalling that İmamoğlu was elected as the CHP’s presidential candidate for the next polls.

“They staged a war against democratic politics and the power of the polls. As they no longer get the support of the people, they chose to stand against the people,” the CHP chairman stated, referring to the detentions of Antalya Mayor Muhittin Böcek, Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar and Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere.

On reactions coming the from the ruling alliance over the CHP’s regular rallies in Istanbul provinces and across the country, Özel said “No, what we demand is not to stage a coup [against the government] but to use our right to protest against those who stage a coup on the opposition.”

In the meantime, a summary of proceedings against Özel was submitted to the parliament on July 8 for the removal of his parliamentary immunity after a prosecutor launched a probe against him for insulting the president.