The prosecution of the Mayor of Istanbul and main opponent of the Turkish President, Ekrem Imamoglu, continues unabated, as the Turkish state confiscated the construction company, of which the imprisoned mayor was a co-owner, as announced by the Istanbul Prosecutor General's Office.
The Turkish state arrested Ekrem Imamoglu yesterday on charges including bribery and aiding a terrorist group, a move that the main opposition party criticized as an “attempted coup against the next president.” However, in a statement late last night, the prosecutor’s office said that control of Imamoglu’s construction company had been transferred to the criminal court of the peace, based on economic crime investigation reports.
At the same time, Europeans and not only, politicians and investors are evaluating the move to arrest the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, as a worrying sign for the governance of Turkey by Recep Tayyip Erdogan from now on. For the Financial Times, Imamoglu's arrest "marks a dangerous turning point in the authoritarian slide", as it is noted, while emphasizing that "for months, events at home and abroad seemed to be moving in the favor of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan".
In total, Turkish police arrested 100 people – among whom are the names of other politicians, journalists and businessmen, while Imamoglu reacted online, saying that “the will of the people cannot be silenced.”
In this context, thousands of demonstrators reacted with large demonstrations on the streets of Istanbul, metro stations and public spaces, while footage from the Reuters news agency showed police using pepper spray to disperse crowds outside Istanbul University. “Erdogan, dictator!” and “Imamoglu, you are not alone!” were the dominant slogans, although the government banned public gatherings in Istanbul as part of the four-day restrictions. A new barrage of demonstrations, however, is expected today, as the Mayor of Istanbul has become the recipient of support from leaders and citizens worldwide.
Meanwhile, UK-based company Netblocks claimed yesterday that Turkey has severely restricted access to social networking sites such as X, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, amid a backlash at the highest level.
For much of the international press, Imamoglu’s arrest comes as part of a major nationwide crackdown in recent months, targeting opposition politicians, municipalities, journalists and entertainment industry figures. According to Reuters, “after the arrest of the Istanbul mayor, concerns about Turkey’s shift towards authoritarianism were expressed on social media, with some calling for an opposition boycott of the upcoming presidential election, arguing that a fair and democratic vote is no longer possible.”
Imamoglu's party, the CHP, condemned the arrests as a "coup against our next president," while Erdogan and his party have denied allegations of involvement in the Imamoglu case, insisting that Turkey's judiciary is independent.
“Reading” Imamoglu’s imprisonment as an expression of authoritarianism, “he has crossed the Rubicon,” said Suat Kınıklıoğlu, a former MP. “There is no turning back for him,” he continued of the Turkish President, while investors were in a state of shock. Specifically, the Turkish lira fell to a record low against the dollar before closing down 3,3%, as concerns grew about Erdogan’s commitment to the rule of law and economic reforms led by Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, while the benchmark Bist 100 index closed down almost 9%. According to Capital Economics, Imamoglu’s arrest raises concerns about “the broader reform agenda” commenting that “political rather than economic concerns may begin to dominate President Erdogan’s thinking.”
Barrage of imprisonments
Potential candidate for the Turkish presidency in 2028, Ekrem İmamoğlu, is not, however, the only Turkish party leader to be imprisoned, as he has been preceded by Selahattin Demirtas, the leader of the Kurdish opposition who has been in prison since 2016. And also Ümit Özdağ, the leader of the small ultranationalist Victory party, who was imprisoned last January on charges of insulting Erdogan. However, İmamoğlu’s imprisonment carries a decisive difference according to analysts, as never before has Erdogan moved so decisively against the dominant opposition and the leader of Turkey’s oldest party, which was founded by the righteous Kemal Ataturk.
Source: protothema
