--- title: "Ekrem Imamoglu joins New Party after court removes CHP leadership" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ekrem-imamoglu-joins-new-party-after-court-removes-chp-leadership" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/ekrem-imamoglu-joins-new-party-after-court-removes-chp-leadership" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ekrem-imamoglu-joins-new-party-after-court-removes-chp-leadership.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/ekrem-imamoglu-joins-new-party-after-court-removes-chp-leadership" category: "Politics" area: "Middle East" published: "2026-08-13T07:25:31.559Z" source_reported: "2026-08-13T06:47:20.764Z" updated: "2026-08-13T08:15:32.435Z" trust_score: 68 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-13T08:15:21.886408+00:00" --- # Ekrem Imamoglu joins New Party after court removes CHP leadership *Jailed Istanbul mayor resigns from Republican People’s Party amid legal crackdown on Turkish opposition* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 68 of 100, higher is better. Trust 68: includes named source Imamoglu, specific time/place, and attribution to his statement, plus multiple independent outlets. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic 95: explains context, quotes Imamoglu, separates facts, gives specific names/dates, outlines future elections. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Hype 15: headline matches article content, no exaggerated language, measured tone. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Ekrem Imamoglu, jailed mayor of Istanbul, resigned from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) after 17 years and joined the New Party, which was formed last month by breakaway lawmakers. - A court order removed the CHP’s leadership, reinstating former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a move critics call part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures. - The New Party is now the second-largest in Turkey’s parliament and is expected to attract most CHP voters, potentially reshaping opposition to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. - Turkey’s next elections are scheduled for 2028 but could be held earlier, with the opposition’s fragmentation seen as a potential advantage for Erdogan’s ruling party. Ekrem Imamoglu, the jailed mayor of Istanbul, announced on 13 August 2026 that he was leaving the Republican People’s Party (CHP) after 17 years of membership. In a statement posted on X, Imamoglu said his decision reflected his values and responsibility toward the Turkish people. He confirmed he was joining the New Party, a political group formed the previous month by 90 breakaway lawmakers led by opposition figure Ozgur Ozel. The move followed a court order that removed the CHP’s leadership and reinstated its former leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The ruling came amid what opposition groups and rights organisations describe as an unprecedented legal crackdown on dissent. Imamoglu, who has been in pretrial detention for over a year on corruption charges he denies, was the CHP’s presidential candidate in an internal vote held days after his arrest in March 2025. His university diploma, a requirement for presidential candidacy, was annulled by Istanbul University the day before his detention. The New Party is now the second-largest party in Turkey’s parliament. Analysts expect it to attract most of the CHP’s voter base, presenting a renewed challenge to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been in power for 23 years. The next elections are officially scheduled for 2028, but there is speculation they could be called earlier. The opposition’s fragmentation is widely seen as a potential advantage for Erdogan’s ruling party. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mentioned the resignation of Imamoglu’s wife, Dilek Imamoglu, from the CHP, which was reported by the unrated outlet gazetepencere.com. The centre-rated reports also omitted this detail. No outlet, including the full reports from the Times of India and The Economic Times, provided a specific figure for the number of CHP officials or members jailed since 2024 beyond the general claim of "hundreds". No left-rated outlet ran this story at all. ## Who covered it Shares of the 12 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 8% (1) - Centre: 25% (3) - Right: 67% (8) 4 of 16 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-13T08:15:21.886408+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-13T09:15:16.187Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The three centre-rated reports, from The Economic Times, Reuters and WTVB, led on Imamoglu’s resignation from the CHP and his decision to join the New Party. All three carried his statement on X, in which he framed the move as the start of a new path for Turkey. The Economic Times and Reuters included the context of the court order removing the CHP’s leadership and the broader legal crackdown on opposition figures. Reuters and WTVB noted the New Party’s status as the second-largest in parliament and its potential to attract CHP voters. - The Economic Times and Reuters also reported the government’s denial that the judiciary is politically influenced. Both outlets quoted Imamoglu’s description of the crackdown as undemocratic, though neither attributed the claim to a named rights group or opposition source beyond his own statement. ### Right - The seven right-rated digests, from Asharq AL-awsat, Protothema, Die Presse, The Star Kuala Lumpur, Cyprus Mail, The Straits Times and the Times of India, all led on Imamoglu’s decision to join the New Party. The Times of India’s full report, the only right-rated outlet to publish one, framed the move as part of an "unprecedented legal crackdown on the opposition" and included Imamoglu’s statement in full. It also noted the annulment of his university diploma and the broader splintering of the opposition as a potential boost to Erdogan’s prospects. - Protothema’s digest quoted Imamoglu’s resignation statement directly, while Die Presse described him as Erdogan’s "biggest rival". The Star Kuala Lumpur, Cyprus Mail and The Straits Times all carried the court order removing the CHP’s leadership, though none of the digests mentioned the government’s denial of political interference in the judiciary. Asharq AL-awsat’s digest did not go beyond the basic facts of Imamoglu’s move and the court order. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 3 - high: 7 - unknown: 4 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [medyafaresi.com](https://medyafaresi.com/haber/chp-sozcusu-sari-imamoglunun-istifasini-degerlendirdi-gec-kalmis-bir-karar/1045948) — CHP Spokesperson Sarı Commented on İMamoğlu's Resignation: It Was a Belated Decision. - [in.gr](https://in.gr/2026/08/13/world/tourkia-o-fylakismenos-imamoglou-entaxthike-sto-neo-antipoliteyomeno-komma-tou-ozel-en-meso-politikis-anataraxis) — Imamoglu Joins Özel's New Opposition Party Amid Political Turmoil in Turkey - [Handelsblatt](https://handelsblatt.com/politik/international/tuerkei-inhaftierter-istanbuler-buergermeister-wechselt-zu-neuer-oppositionspartei/100246964.html) — Turkey: Imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Changes to New Opposition Party - [Asharq AL-awsat](https://english.aawsat.com/world/5306414-jailed-istanbul-mayor-imamoglu-joins-new-opposition-party-amid-political-turmoil) — Jailed Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu Joins New Opposition Party Amid Political Turmoil - [Protothema](https://protothema.gr/world/article/1864290/tourkia-o-fulakismenos-dimarhos-tis-konstadinoupolis-imamoglou-egateleipse-to-chp-kai-edahthike-se-neo-komma) — Turkey: Jailed Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu Leaves CHP, Joins New Party - [Die Presse](https://diepresse.com/41170410/inhaftierter-istanbuler-buergermeister-schliesst-sich-der-neuen-partei) — Incarcerated Istanbul Mayor Joins the "New... - [ORF.at News](https://orf.at/stories/3439028) — Turkey: Imamoglu Changes to New Opposition Party - [Reuters](https://reuters.com/world/middle-east/jailed-istanbul-mayor-imamoglu-joins-new-opposition-party-amid-political-turmoil-2026-08-13) — Jailed Istanbul mayor Imamoglu joins new opposition party amid political turmoil - [The Star Kuala Lumpur](https://thestar.com.my/news/world/2026/08/13/jailed-istanbul-mayor-imamoglu-joins-new-opposition-party-amid-political-turmoil) — Jailed Istanbul mayor Imamoglu joins new opposition party amid political turmoil - [Times of India](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/jailed-istanbul-mayor-imamoglu-joins-new-opposition-party-amid-political-turmoil/articleshow/133199727.cms) — Jailed Istanbul mayor Imamoglu joins new opposition party amid political turmoil - [The Economic Times](https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/world-news/jailed-istanbul-mayor-imamoglu-joins-new-opposition-party-amid-political-turmoil/articleshow/133199727.cms) — Jailed Istanbul mayor Imamoglu joins new opposition party amid political turmoil - [WTVB](https://wtvbam.com/2026/08/13/jailed-istanbul-mayor-imamoglu-joins-new-opposition-party-amid-political-turmoil) — Jailed Istanbul mayor Imamoglu joins new opposition party amid political turmoil - [Cyprus Mail](https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/08/13/jailed-istanbul-mayor-imamoglu-joins-turkeys-new-party) — Jailed Istanbul mayor Imamoglu joins Turkey’s New Party - [The Straits Times](https://straitstimes.com/world/europe/jailed-istanbul-mayor-imamoglu-joins-new-opposition-party-amid-political-turmoil) — Jailed Istanbul mayor Imamoglu joins new opposition party amid political turmoil - [gazetepencere.com](https://gazetepencere.com/gundem/dilek-kaya-imamoglu-da-chpden-istifa-etti-yeni-bir-yolculuga-davet-etti-711592h) — Dilek Kaya İMamoğlu Also Resigned From CHP: She Invited People to a 'NEW' Journey. - [Tr724](https://tr724.com/imamoglu-chpden-istifa-etti-vatandaslari-yeni-partiye-uye-olmaya-davet-etti) — Imamoğlu Resigned From CHP; He Invited Citizens to Become Members of the NEW Party. ## Questions **Why did Ekrem Imamoglu leave the CHP?** Imamoglu resigned from the Republican People’s Party after 17 years, citing his values and responsibility toward Turkey’s future. His decision followed a court order that removed the CHP’s leadership and reinstated its former leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, amid a broader legal crackdown on opposition figures. **What is the New Party in Turkey?** The New Party was formed in July 2026 by 90 breakaway lawmakers led by opposition figure Ozgur Ozel. It is now the second-largest party in Turkey’s parliament and is expected to attract most of the CHP’s voter base, presenting a renewed challenge to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. **When are Turkey’s next elections?** Turkey’s next elections are officially scheduled for 2028, but there is speculation they could be held earlier. The opposition’s fragmentation is seen as a potential advantage for Erdogan’s ruling party, which has been in power for 23 years. **Which outlets reported Imamoglu’s move?** The story was covered by three centre-rated outlets, The Economic Times, Reuters and WTVB, and seven right-rated outlets, including the Times of India, Asharq AL-awsat and The Straits Times. No left-rated outlet ran the story. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/ekrem-imamoglu-joins-new-party-after-court-removes-chp-leadership. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Ekrem Imamoglu joins New Party after court removes CHP leadership", https://mediabias.news/politics/ekrem-imamoglu-joins-new-party-after-court-removes-chp-leadership