Opposition of Türkiye elects interim after arrest of mayor of Istanbul

The government denies influence on the judiciary and states that the courts are independent. Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for over two decades, has classified protests across the country as a “show”, warned of the legal consequences and asked CHP to stop “provoking” the Turks.

The Istanbul Council, with 314 members, where the CHP holds the majority, elected party Nuri Aslan, to manage the city with 177 votes, according to NTV. The interim mayor will run the city for the rest of the mandate of Imamoglu while he is awaiting trial.

The election of an interim mayor prevents the government from nominating an intervener to manage the municipality, as it did in several other cities, especially in the Southeast Kurdish, amid a legal repression of months against the opposition.

In a speech at the Istanbul City Hall building in Sarachane, CHP President Ozgur Ozel, who visited Imamoglu in prison a day, said the interim mayor had blocked Erdogan’s desire to name an intervener for the municipality.

“The struggle will expand to all over now on, but a leg will always be in Istanbul and a hand will always be in Sarachane,” Ozel said, adding that the resistance of the population frustrated what the opposition calls “blow attempt” against her.

The interim mayor Aslan, talking alongside Ozel, said the position was entrusted to him temporarily.