10.07.2026 07:40
Tensions erupted late at night after the invitation committee removed Ekrem İmamoğlu's banner at the CHP Istanbul Provincial Headquarters. As party members re-hung the banner, riot police entered the building. CHP officials claimed the banner was reinstalled and that some party members were barred from entering the headquarters.
The banner of presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, which was hanging at the CHP Istanbul Provincial Headquarters building, was taken down by the call committee. In its place, a poster of CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was hung.
Following this, some party members came to the provincial headquarters building at night and re-hung the İmamoğlu banner. Tensions arose at the provincial building after these developments.
RIOT POLICE ENTERED THE PROVINCIAL BUILDING
After the tension, riot police teams entered the CHP Istanbul Provincial Headquarters building. Thus, police teams resumed duty at the provincial building after approximately 10 months.
"WE RE-HUNG THE BANNER TOGETHER WITH OUR ORGANIZATION"
CHP Istanbul Provincial Secretary Soner Özimer, in a statement on his social media account, stated that they were at the provincial building, saying, "We are here, we are standing up for our will."
Özimer used the following statements in his statement: "As of now, the call committee and its supporters have removed the banner of our presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu hanging at our Provincial Headquarters building. But we are here, we re-hung the removed banner together with our organization. We never allow this intervention against the will of the people."
"ENTRIES AND EXITS WERE BLOCKED"
Özimer, who claimed that the call committee invited the riot police teams, argued that some party members were prevented from entering the provincial building. Özimer said, "Our friends cannot enter the provincial building. Entries and exits are blocked. We are on guard on the third floor."
Özgür Çelik, who came to the Provincial Headquarters building, reacted to the events, saying, "They have surrendered to a handful of wretches; we are fighting for the future of your children. Do not allow the police to be used for this. We are fighting for democracy; they are trying to snatch the ballot box away from the people. We know that your conscience does not accept this. They push you forward and then run away and disappear."
The CHP Istanbul Provincial Headquarters had also been placed under a police blockade last September after Gürsel Tekin was appointed as the provincial chair by court decision.