Main opposition leader to drive tractor to Yozgat rally, honors protest of farmers
Leader of main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Ozgur Ozel gestures as he speaks during an interview with AFP, in Istanbul on April 9, 2025. (AFP Photo)
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) will hold the second event in its series of provincial rallies this Saturday in Cumhuriyet Square, Yozgat.
CHP Chairperson Ozgur Ozel is set to make a symbolic arrival by driving a tractor to the rally site.
On the day of the rally, a convoy of tractors will gather in the Sarihacili neighborhood of Yozgat to welcome Ozel. The opposition leader will take the wheel of one of the tractors and drive approximately six kilometers to the rally area.
This gesture is a nod to local farmers who previously staged a tractor protest in response to the detention of former mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Ekrem Imamoglu. That protest, which took place in a rural village in Yozgat, resulted in traffic fines for the farmers involved. According to journalist Saygi Ozturk of Sozcu, Imamoglu was moved by the show of support during his time in custody.
In response, Ozel chose Yozgat as the location for CHP’s second major rally. Ozturk wrote: “CHP leader Ozgur Ozel knows how to drive a tractor. When he heard that tractors would be part of the rally, he was pleased. He informed Yozgat Provincial Chair Abdullah Yasar that he wanted to arrive by tractor. Preparations were made accordingly.”
Justice march from Kayseri
Separately, eight youth members from CHP’s Kayseri branch launched a “Justice March for Imamoglu,” walking from Kayseri to Yozgat.
Their march will conclude at the rally on Saturday. The group, sent off by Kayseri Provincial Chair Feyzullah Keskin, will be welcomed by Yozgat Chair Abdullah Yasar.
