Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu joins new opposition party from prison

On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu announced his resignation from the Republican People's Party (CHP) after 17 years of membership. He subsequently joined the newly established New Party, a political entity formed last month by former opposition leader Ozgur Ozel and 90 breakaway lawmakers. This move follows an intense legal crackdown on the Turkish opposition, during which a court ousted Ozel as chairman of the CHP and reinstated former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, effectively fracturing the party.

Imamoglu, widely considered President Tayyip Erdogan's primary political challenger, has been detained for over a year awaiting trial on corruption charges, which he denies. Despite his incarceration, he remains a central figure in the opposition, having been elected as the CHP's presidential candidate in March 2025 shortly after his arrest. The new political formation is viewed as a strategic attempt by opposition leaders to regroup ahead of future national elections, which are scheduled for 2028 but could potentially be moved to an earlier date.