Turkey’s main opposition leader says Erdogan has abandoned democracy

Record ID: 1984452

  • Title: Turkey’s main opposition leader says Erdogan has abandoned democracy
  • Date: 19th March 2025
  • Summary: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (MARCH 19, 2025) (REUTERS) LIEUTENANT COLONEL NADAV SHOSHANI, ISRAELI ARMY INTERNATIONAL SPOKESPERSON, STANDING FOR INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI ARMY INTERNATIONAL SPOKESPERSON, LIEUTENANT COLONEL NADAV SHOSHANI, SAYING: "We said this and we meant this, that we will never let them (Hamas) commit them another October 7th and we meant it. And we s
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: CRACKDOWN DETENTION ERDOGAN IMAMOGLU OZEL TURKEY
  • Location: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
  • City: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Europe,Middle East,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA002006519032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Turkish main opposition leader said on Wednesday (March 19) President Tayyip Erdogan had strayed from democracy speaking after the detention of Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul's mayor and Erdogan's main political rival.
    "Democracy was a train, and Tayyip Erdogan only boarded it as long as it suited him. Now, he has stepped off that train and joined the ranks of the coup plotters," Republican People's Party (CHP) chairman Ozgur Ozel told reporters in Istanbul.
    He said Istanbul's chief prosecutor had been targeting opposition figures and others since October, which he claimed was due to Erdogan not being able to accept defeat in municipal elections in March 2024.
    "Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who lost Istanbul, would lose Turkey; Ekrem İmamoglu, who won Istanbul, would also win Turkey," he said, adding that the detention intentionally came four days ahead of the party's primary election, where Imamoglu is expected to be elected the presidential candidate.
    Turkey detained Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the main rival of President Tayyip Erdogan, on charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist group in what the main opposition party on Wednesday called "a coup against our next president".
    (Production: Ali Kucukgocmen)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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