Turkey has arrested the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, a member of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). It’s not the first time there were rumors he might be arrested, but now Turkey’s AKP rulers have seemingly decided to remove him from the political playing field.
Prosecutors accused him of corruption and aiding a terrorist group. Ankara often accuses political opposition members of being “terrorists,” removing numerous left-leaning mayors and regional politicians based on these claims.
The AKP doesn’t have an iron grip on power because it still only barely gets a majority of votes in elections. However, it has been able to exert increasing control over every aspect of society, from the police to courts, media, and colleges.
There are very few parts of Turkish society where people can critique the ruling party without being arrested for “insulting” political leaders or jailed on “terrorism” charges.
These accusations generally target minority groups, such as Kurds, women’s rights activists, and students, and have even been aimed at foreigners visiting or living in Turkey. Infamously, Ankara arrested an American pastor back in 2016, only freeing him after pressure from the previous Trump administration.
Ankara’s move to authoritarianism is normally met with appeasement from the West. European countries and NATO have often backed Turkey. It also positions itself as sitting between Europe and Russia, pretending to confront Moscow while working with it. The country also works closely with Iran.
Ankara has threatened Israel and Greece in the past and has also tried to prevent Sweden from joining NATO. Ankara even tried to use migrants against Europe to secure profitable deals, leading many Western countries to look the other way instead of critiquing Ankara.
For instance, when France confronted it in the past, Turkey attempted to radicalize Muslims in France. Many countries fear Ankara could radicalize migrant populations, including Turkish migrants. European countries have so many problems that they feel they can’t afford a new problem with the NATO member.
Turkey will use the courts to make it seem like the arrests of the mayor and more than 100 suspects were legal. Even if he is eventually released, he may be kept from challenging Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The ruling party in Ankara has been in power for 20 years and wants it to stay that way.
The opposition CHP used to run Turkey for most of the 20th century. Turkey’s rulers have said that the CHP was linked to a “deep state” of secular Kemalists who tried to undermine the AKP, saying this led to various coup attempts.
Turkey also says it is threatened by the PKK and by a foreign cleric named “Gulen.” Even paranoiacs have foes, and it’s likely true the AKP has enemies.
More powerful than ever
However, the AKP is more powerful than ever today. It has coopted most media in Turkey and weakened the former secular grip on various institutions. The war against the “deep state” is a motto that has been picked up abroad in the US and Israel.
Ankara’s concept of fighting secular and leftist organizations is not only something happening in Turkey; it’s a worldwide concept that is part of the new world order emerging within more authoritarian states.
The detention of the mayor of Istanbul will be closely watched in the West and the region.
He is not the only opposition member jailed now. Selahattin Demirtas, the leader of another opposition party, was jailed a decade ago, and other leaders of various parties have received long sentences for various infractions. In January, prosecutors also charged right-wing Victory Party leader Umit Ozdag with fomenting the anti-migrant protests.
In essence, no one is safe from the AKP’s prosecutions.