ISTANBUL, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Istabul Major Ekrem Imamoglu officially applied to his Republican Peoples' Party (CHP) on Friday to become the influential opposition party's presidential candidate.
In a statement on his social media, Imamoglu said, "Today, I took the first step of a new beginning by officially applying to be the presidential candidate of the Republican People's Party, a party I am proud to be a member of."
Imamoglu was re-elected for a second term as mayor of Istanbul in the March 2024 local elections.
"We are embarking on a journey to make our state democratic and strong, our nation prosperous and peaceful, and our citizens equal and free," he added.
The CHP will announce its presidential candidate at its congress in March, following a vote by its party members.
Türkiye held presidential and parliamentary elections in May 2023. Incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, representing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its alliance, won re-election with 52.18 percent of the vote in a runoff against CHP former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who was the joint candidate of the six-party Nation Alliance.
The next presidential elections will be held in 2028. ■