Huge  Crowds Fill Konya Square for CHP’s “Defending the National Will” Rally

Konya hosted the fourth of the CHP’s “Protecting the National Will” rallies today which aims at keeping the public anger alive against the detention of its presidential candisate Ekrem Imamoglu and to defend democracy, with tens of thousands completely filling Kılıçarslan Square, the city’s largest public space. Alongside the thousands of Konya citizens in the square chanting slogans such as “Freedom for İmamoğlu” and “Rights, law, justice,” thousands more watched the rally from behind police barricades surrounding the area. It marked the largest political rally the CHP has ever held in Konya, reports ANKA News Agency.

The latest stop of the weekly “Defending the National Will” rallies, organized by the CHP in different provinces to demand freedom for its presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu and call for early elections, was Konya. Following Samsun, Yozgat, and Mersin, Konya became the fourth city where thousands gathered to voice support for İmamoğlu, who has been imprisoned in Silivri since March 23.

Mass Turnout After Yozgat

Kılıçarslan Square, said to hold around 90,000 people, witnessed an unprecedented turnout for the CHP rally. Following the politically significant rally in Yozgat, another stronghold of the ruling AK Party, tens of thousands of citizens in Konya joined the CHP to demand justice.

Kılıçarslan Square spans 22,000 square meters and can host 88,000–90,000 people. Police conducted extensive security checks for the rally, including bomb-sniffing dogs until noon. Entry to the square began at 12:00 p.m., with citizens undergoing individual security screenings.

Konya Sends a “Yellow Card” to Erdoğan

In the 2023 general election, President Erdoğan received 72.99% of the vote in Konya. However, in the March 31, 2024 local elections, the AK Party’s vote share dropped to 49.44%, allowing Mayor Altay to retain his seat. The New Welfare Party’s (YRP) candidate Mehmet Köseoğlu received 23.48%, leading to interpretations that Konya had “shown a yellow card” to the AK Party. The CHP increased its number of municipalities in the province from one to five, signaling its growing presence in the region.

First Major CHP Rally in Konya in Two Years

The recent CHP rally became one of the largest in Konya’s history. While the square was filled to capacity, thousands watched from outside the barricades.

Farmers Turn Out in Force: “If We Perish, the Country Perishes”

CHP Konya Chair Bekir Yaman read a message from İmamoğlu, who remains imprisoned in Silivri. Farmers—one of the most affected groups in Konya, known as Turkey’s grain silo—attended in large numbers. One farmer, Hatice Sarı, received loud applause when she addressed the crowd from the bus. Referring to Erdoğan’s earlier statement—“Let’s see how many more CHP politicians will perish pursuing their presidential ambition”—Sarı said:

“It’s the educated who perish, the villagers who perish, the producers who perish. If we perish, the whole country perishes. If you spent the money earmarked for Kanal Istanbul on farmers, I wouldn’t have to be up here talking. We don’t want a government that doesn’t support production or stand with the villagers. You cannot destroy us. We are the people, we are right, and we will win.”

Mayors Join in Solidarity

After Sarı, Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş greeted the crowd from the rally bus. He was joined by Çankaya Mayor Hüseyin Can Güner, Yenimahalle Mayor Fethi Yaşar, and Antalya Metropolitan Mayor Muhittin Böcek.

CHP leader Özgür Özel emphasized the issue of water scarcity—Konya farmers’ biggest problem. He highlighted the soaring agricultural input costs and the formation of thousands of sinkholes in Konya due to unresolved water issues.

“You Can’t Silence Me, I Am the People”

With massive participation, the CHP brought together a wide cross-section of society—from farmers to retirees, students to workers—in what has long been considered an AK Party stronghold. Protesters carried signs reading, “I’m not here for myself, I’m here for women and youth,” “You can’t silence me, I am the people,” “Even Edison regrets it,” “Resist Pikachu,” “Brother Özgür, save Turkey from AKP oppression,” “Our children are not brides; they are our future,” and “Can a life be lived under one man?”

“Konya Is Now the Fortress of the Republic”

Speaking to ANKA News Agency, CHP Deputy Chair Suat Özçağdaş said: “The AKP must understand this: there’s no such thing as a political fortress anymore.” Fellow Deputy Chair Murat Bakan declared that Konya is now the “fortress of the Republic.”

CHP parliamentary group deputy leader Murat Emir added, “This rally shows the government must go. Even Konya and its farmers are fed up. They’re counting the days until the ballot box arrives.”

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