Corruption in Istanbul: Imamoglu and 40 arrested in the crosshairs!

Corruption in Istanbul: Imamoglu and 40 arrested in the crosshairs!

Istanbul, Türkei - In Istanbul, the political climate is becoming increasingly tense. On Friday, over 40 suspects were arrested in the context of corruption investigations against Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The public prosecutor accuses Imamoglu and other high -ranking civil servants to conduct a criminal organization. The allegations include bribery, fraud and manipulation for tenders. Among the arrested are the boss of Imamoglus security department and the deputy general secretary of the city administration. Some of the suspects were released under conditions, including an exit barrier, such as Kleine Zeitung reported.

The arrest of Imamoglu, a prominent rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, triggered nationwide protests in Turkey. Critics consider the allegations as a targeted attempt by the government to eliminate a political opponent. Imamoglu itself rejects the allegations as "immoral and unfounded". He is to be brought before a judge while the public prosecutor's office demands custody for him. In the investigation, he is also under pressure on suspicion of supporting the forbidden Kurdish Workers' Party PKK. The Situation is additionally burdened by escalations in the protests, in which the police used pepper spray against demonstrators, as [world] (https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article25576512/tuerkischer-OpplositiontplungsplungsplositionSplungsplungsplungsplositionSplungsplungsplungsplungsplungsplungsplungsplungsplungsplungsplosition.

political context and repression

Imamoglu is not only an important political actor, but also the mayor of a metropolis that is of central importance for the Turkish opposition. The political tensions in Turkey are a product of the increasingly intensified control of the government about the press and freedom of expression. President Erdoğan, who has been in power for over 21 years, has severely restricted freedom in Turkey and is increasingly facing criticism of his power policy. Since the failed coup attempt in 2016, the pressure on critical voices has increased further, such as the bpb.

The current incidents also skill lightly on the systematic suppression of oppositional voices and the difficulty of political activities. The university degree was not only revoked - a prerequisite for a possible presidential candidate - the Turkish media supervision RTÜK also threatens media with punishments that report on the protests. These measures show how much the government tries to prevent critical reporting and to eliminate any form of resistance.

The protests against the arrests and the associated political reprisals indicate that distrust and resentment grow among the population. The opposition party Chp plans to nominate Imamoglu as a presidential candidate if the electoral authority accepts the necessary conditions. The result of these disputes remains to be seen, while democratic freedoms in Turkey are still severely restricted.