In an exclusive interview with Euronews, Kılıçdaroğlu defended his court-ordered return to the CHP leadership, said İmamoğlu is not a political prisoner but should not have been detained, and left the door open to backing İmamoğlu in a presidential bid.
asserted
İmamoğlu → defend → bid
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu returned as interim leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) earlier this year after a court annulled the 2023 leadership election that had removed him — and he says jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is not a political prisoner, while leaving the door open to supporting an İmamoğlu presidential bid.
asserted
İmamoğlu → return → bid
In an exclusive interview with Euronews at CHP headquarters in Ankara, Kılıçdaroğlu defended his court-ordered return, acknowledged the party split would cost the CHP votes and called for Turkey to lead a new regional peace organisation.
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Turkey → defend → organisation
İmamoğlu was arrested in March 2025 on corruption charges, triggering Turkey's largest street protests in more than a decade.
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İmamoğlu → arrest → decade
His supporters say the charges are politically motivated, noting his status as Erdoğan's most credible electoral rival.
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charges → say → rival
His 2019 victory ended 25 years of AKP and other rule in Istanbul and his re-election in 2024 reinforced that standing.
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election → end → standing
The government has rejected accusations of political interference.
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government → reject → interference
Kılıçdaroğlu said İmamoğlu's potential candidacy for the presidency did not make the corruption case political.
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case → say → presidency
These cases are another," he said, noting that he had voted for İmamoğlu in the CHP's own presidential primary.
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he → say → primary
But Kılıçdaroğlu said İmamoğlu should not have been detained while awaiting trial.
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İmamoğlu → say → trial
"He can stand trial, but I did not think it was right to detain him.
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it → stand → him
I still hold that view today."
A separate legal complication arose when Istanbul University annulled İmamoğlu's degree in March 2025, raising questions about his presidential eligibility — Turkey's constitution requires candidates to have completed higher education.
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constitution → hold → education
İmamoğlu has since joined Yeni Parti, the breakaway political group led by his ally Özgür Özel.
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İmamoğlu → join → ally
Asked whether he would back an İmamoğlu presidential bid if those legal obstacles were resolved, Kılıçdaroğlu did not give an unconditional endorsement but said talks would be needed and stressed that opposition unity was a mathematical necessity.
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unity → ask → endorsement
"How will you get 51%?
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you → get → %
How can you get it without working together?" he said.
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he → get → it
The CHP was founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1923 as the party of the Turkish republic and its founding secular ideology, known as Kemalism.
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CHP → found → Kemalism
It governed Turkey without interruption until 1950 and remains the main vehicle for secular, centre-left politics.
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It → govern → politics
It draws its core support from western Turkey's urban and coastal populations, civil servants, professionals and voters who prioritise secularism and EU integration.
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who → draw → secularism
A court-ordered return
Kılıçdaroğlu, who led the CHP for 13 years, came closer to defeating Erdoğan than any opposition candidate in two decades when he ran against him in the May 2023 presidential election.
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he → order → election
The race went to a second round — the first runoff in Turkish history — where Erdoğan won 52.2% to Kılıçdaroğlu's 47.8%.
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Erdoğan → go → %
The result ended the most serious electoral challenge to Erdoğan's rule and directly triggered the CHP leadership contest that replaced Kılıçdaroğlu with Özel.
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that → end → Özel
İmamoğlu backed Özel in the party contest.
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İmamoğlu → back → contest
A court ruling on 21 May annulled that congress and restored the previous leadership on an interim basis.
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ruling → annul → basis
Özel's leadership team denied the vote-buying allegations and accused the government of using the judiciary against the party.
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team → deny → party
Özel has appealed the ruling, leaving Kılıçdaroğlu's interim leadership subject to further judicial review.
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Özel → appeal → review
Kılıçdaroğlu denied any involvement in the case.
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Kılıçdaroğlu → deny → case
I did not file it.
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I → file → it
I did not testify.
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I → testify → ?
I have no involvement in this case," he said.
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he → have → case
Asked whether returning through a court ruling rather than a delegate vote bothered him, he said the ruling had restored the full previous leadership, not just him personally.
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ruling → ask → leadership
Asked whether accepting the ruling implied trust in the judiciary, he replied: "Who said I trust the judiciary?"
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I → ask → judiciary
The cost of CHP's split
The CHP came first in Turkey's 2024 local elections under Özel, retaining Istanbul and Ankara and dealing a major setback to Erdoğan's ruling AKP.
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CHP → come → AKP
Turkey's parliament has 600 seats.
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parliament → have → seats
With 91 MPs, Yeni Parti is now the second-largest parliamentary group after the ruling AKP and the largest opposition bloc, while the CHP has 44 MPs.
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CHP → rule → MPs
Kılıçdaroğlu insisted that his party's core voters remained loyal, but acknowledged that the division would come at a cost.
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division → insist → cost
"Will it lose strength?
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it → lose → strength
But we will recover over time.
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we → recover → time
No one should be concerned," he said.
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he → say → ?
Citing his own unsuccessful presidential bid in 2023, he argued that political success could no longer be measured solely by parliamentary seat totals.
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success → cite → totals
…and 17 more, not listed.
