The party of jailed Istanbul Major Ekrem Imamoglu reelected its leader on Sunday, as it seeks to capitalize on mass opposition to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’srule.
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) picked Ozgur Ozel as chairman at an extraordinary party congress in Ankara.
The 50-year-old Ozel was reelected by an overwhelming majority of 1,171 of 1,276 ballots cast, reported the Anka News Agency, which is considered to be close to the opposition.
Ozel did not face a challenger.
The CHP has led anti-government protests that have swept Turkey since Imamoglu was arrested and removed from office over corruption and terrorism allegations last month.
Ozel vowed at a nearby rally after his reelection that the party would stage a protest against Imamoglu’s jailing in a different city every weekend, as well as regular demonstrations in Istanbul.
The CHP called the extraordinary congress after concerns were raised that Turkish authorities would appoint a trustee to run the party following a criminal investigation into alleged irregularities around its last summit two years ago.
More to follow…
Edited by John Silk
