Barring Istanbul mayor from Turkish presidential bid would only boost opposition, party leader says


Ozgur Ozel, leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), speaks during a rally to protest against the arrest of Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Ozer, in Istanbul, Turkey, October 31, 2024. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya/File photo

ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkey's main opposition leader said on Thursday any move to legally bar Istanbul's detained mayor from running for president would only strengthen support for their party, and that any candidate would beat President Tayyip Erdogan in elections.

In an interview with Reuters a day after Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan's chief political rival, was detained and charged, Ozgur Ozel, chairman of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said Erdogan feared any future vote.

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