Imamoglu in custody: protests against Erdogan's policy in Istanbul!

Imamoglu in custody: protests against Erdogan's policy in Istanbul!

In a dramatic turning point for Turkish politics, Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and an important rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was taken into custody. According to the state news agency Anadolu, this was done according to a judgment of a Turkish court, which was imposed just a few days before his expected nomination as a presidential candidate for the largest opposition party Chp. Imamoglu is confronted with severe allegations, including corruption and alleged terrorist activities, which are treated in two separate procedures in which a total of 106 people are suspected. He himself denies all the allegations that are evaluated by political opponents as targeted attacks against him and his party.

massive protests and political tensions

The arrest imamoglus has caused immense protests nationwide, despite a ban on demonstrations. According to reports, up to 300,000 people took part in the protests in Istanbul on Friday, a number that could not be confirmed independently. The CHP described the measures as "civil coup" and criticized the government for trying to push one of its main competitors out of the political game. Erdogan's ruling party, the AKP, rejected these allegations as a political panic manner and described the incidents as the "summit of political unreasonation".

The political dimension of the allegations is particularly evident in the connections between the CHP and the Prokurdish Democratic Party (DES PARTIEI). The Attorney General claims that this collaboration has tried the forbidden Kurdish Workers' Party PKK to expand its influence. Control over Istanbul is considered a central political indicator in Turkey, and Imamoglus election victory in 2019 was seen as a significant defeat for Erdogan's AKP, which the city had previously ruled for decades. Despite the legal difficulties, the CHP plans to set up Imamoglu as a presidential candidate, and around 1.7 million party members should vote on this. However, experts warn that the ongoing proceedings could endanger its candidacy because the next regular presidential election 2028 is due.

This confused situation around Imamoglu not only illuminates the tense political atmosphere in Turkey, but also shows how pressing the challenges for the opposition have become while fought against an increasingly authoritarian government.