Istanbul: Massive Rally for Turkey's Largest Opposition Party

Follow-up - INA

The Republican People's Party (CHP), Turkey's largest opposition party, is organizing a large rally today, Saturday, in the Maltepe district on the Asian side of Istanbul.

Hundreds of thousands of opposition supporters are expected to participate under the title "The Mass Rally for the Freedom of Our Presidential Candidate, Ekrem İmamoglu." They oppose the arrest and trial of the mayor of Istanbul, who was removed by order of the Turkish Ministry of Interior following corruption charges.

Through this mass rally, the main opposition in Turkey emphasizes that its candidate for the upcoming presidential elections is Ekrem İmamoglu, and says that the cases he is currently facing are political, not judicial.

Through this rally, the opposition is sending a message that it is continuing the measures it began on the 19th of this month, the day of Ekrem's arrest, before his formal arrest four days later.

This comes as thousands of Turkish demonstrators continue their protests in Istanbul, denouncing the government's crackdown on freedoms following the arrest and trial of the Istanbul mayor.