Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who has returned as interim leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) following a court ruling that annulled his 2023 ouster, has left the door open to supporting a presidential bid by jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, telling Euronews that opposition unity is a mathematical necessity to reach the 51% needed to win. İmamoğlu was arrested in March 2025 on corruption charges — which his supporters describe as politically motivated given his status as President Erdoğan's most credible rival — and a separate move by Istanbul University to annul his degree has raised questions about his constitutional eligibility to run for president. The remarks underscore the deepening fractures within Turkey's opposition, with the CHP now holding just 44 parliamentary seats against the 91 held by Yeni Parti, the breakaway bloc aligned with İmamoğlu, ahead of a presidential contest expected in 2028.