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Ekrem Imamoglu, the imprisoned former mayor of Istanbul, announced Wednesday that he has resigned from the Republican People's Party (CHP) after 17 years of membership, throwing his support behind the newly formed New Party led by Ozgur Ozel.
Imamoglu, who has been held at Silivri Prison, posted the announcement on social media, addressing "dear citizens" and "valued fellow travelers." He said the decision stemmed from values he holds "for the future of our country" and from a sense of responsibility toward the nation. He thanked those he had worked alongside during his time in the party.
"Today, we are opening a NEW path to build, together, a stronger, more democratic and more hopeful future for Türkiye," Imamoglu wrote, capitalizing the Turkish word for "new" — a direct nod to the name of the party he is now backing.
In the same post, Imamoglu invited his followers to become part of "this march," to "grow hope together" and to "build the future together." He included links directing supporters to membership and donation pages for New Party . He closed the statement with the line, "This path is the nation's path. We will succeed together," alongside the hashtag meaning "new beginning."
New Party was formally established on July 24, 2026, under the leadership of Ozel, after a Turkish court had annulled CHP's 38th ordinary congress and suspended Ozel from the party's leadership in May. In the weeks that followed, 91 CHP lawmakers resigned from the party to join the new formation, which took over as the main opposition bloc in parliament, pushing CHP down the rankings of parties represented in the assembly.
Imamoglu, who was elected mayor of Istanbul, has been in detention at Silivri Prison and is a defendant in a large-scale corruption case involving the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, which has proceeded to trial with hundreds of co-defendants.
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