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IRGC: We Will Not Side with any Presidential Candidate

Ramezan Sharif the spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. (Archive- Tasnim)
Ramezan Sharif the spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. (Archive- Tasnim)
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IRGC: We Will Not Side with any Presidential Candidate

Ramezan Sharif the spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. (Archive- Tasnim)
Ramezan Sharif the spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. (Archive- Tasnim)

Ramezan Sharif, the spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said on Wednesday that his forces “will not side with any candidate” in the presidential election scheduled for later this month.
Iran will hold its elections following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.
The presidential campaign in Iran kicked off last Monday after Iran's Guardian Council, which oversees elections and legislation, has approved six candidates to run for president, including five conservatives and one reformist.
Sharif affirmed his forces “will not interfere” in supporting or opposing any candidate. He also spoke of the IRGC's interest in widespread participation and ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.
The state-run Mehr news agency explained that the statement referred to candidates linked to the Revolutionary Guards, in an implicit reference to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran's hardline parliament speaker who held senior IRGC positions before engaging in politics.
Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s policy adviser, Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, warned presidential candidates against presenting an “unrealistic” picture of the country's current situation, or promising an ideal atmosphere for the future, and raising the ceiling of people's expectations.

 

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Turkish Opposition Party Reelects Chairman Following Arrest of Istanbul Mayor

Republican People's Party or (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel delivers a speech, during a CHP convention, in Ankara, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP)
Republican People's Party or (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel delivers a speech, during a CHP convention, in Ankara, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP)
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Turkish Opposition Party Reelects Chairman Following Arrest of Istanbul Mayor

Republican People's Party or (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel delivers a speech, during a CHP convention, in Ankara, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP)
Republican People's Party or (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel delivers a speech, during a CHP convention, in Ankara, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP)

Türkiye's main opposition party reelected its chairman Sunday, two weeks after the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, the party’s highest profile rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Ozgur Ozel was reelected at an extraordinary congress of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, which he called to prevent what he said was a plot by the government to appoint a caretaker for the party.

The arrest of Istanbul’s opposition Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges has ignited large-scale anti-government protests. Imamoglu had emerged as the main challenger to Erdogan’s 22-year rule since he was elected mayor of Istanbul in 2019, overturning a quarter-century of rule by conservative parties.

The opposition claims the charges against Imamoglu are politically motivated, but the government insists the judiciary is independent and free of political interference.

While in prison, Imamoglu was confirmed as the CHP’s presidential candidate for the election scheduled for 2028, but which will likely to take place earlier.

Ozel said he decided to call Sunday's party congress on March 21, two days after Imamoglu's arrest and hours before the alleged government caretaker was to be appointed for CHP.

"They didn’t have the courage to compete with us in service, so instead they attempted to intimidate our municipalities and the opposition by using the might of the government against their rivals," Ozel told the assembly. "They thought they could remain in power by polarizing the public and provoking new conflicts."

Former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and a delegation from the European Parliament's Party of European Socialists visited the CHP headquarters Saturday to offer their support and solidarity with "all people fighting for democracy and the rule of law in Türkiye." Turkish media reported that Papandreou attended Sunday's congress.

Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, suffered a major setback during municipal elections last year, when the CHP retained control over key cities like Istanbul and Ankara while also making huge gains elsewhere.

In the months since that election, many opposition mayors of both the CHP and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM, have been replaced by government-appointed caretakers on terrorism charges, which the parties strongly dispute.