Turkey is boiling after the arrest and detention of the former Mayor of Constantinople Imamogloubut the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Head of NATO’s second largest army, “is betting that people need him more than he needs to get involved in a battle for the country’s democracy,” Bloomberg commented.
In one of the most dramatic episodes of Turkey’s contemporary political scene, Recep Tayyip Erdogan reinforced his authoritarian control imprisoning his basic opponent, Ekrem Imamoglou – With the world community remaining largely silent, continues the Bloomberg.
Imoglou’s imprisonment, on the pretext of “fighting corruption”, came a few hours after his university degree was removed – a prerequisite for being a candidate for president. The move prompted immediate political and economic instability: the Turkish pound crashed, the shares dived, and the borrowing rates were fired.
And yet, West reacted lukewarmpoints out the Economic Magazine. OR Germany spoke about ‘Disappointing’ decision, while the Trump government characterized the issue “Internal Affairs of Turkey”. Erdogan himself is confident that Turkey’s geostrategic position, in the midst of a war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East, makes it a valuable value to exert severe pressure.
With the USA and her Europe busy with security challenges, Erdogan has been placed as a key mediator from the war in Ukraine to conflict in the Middle East and Africa.
In spite of international apathy, within Turkey Thousands of citizens demonstrated in Constantinople, Ankara and Smyrna. Imamoglou himself, through the prisons of Silivria, sent a message of resistance: “Tonight, I send my greetings to the millions who seek justice to the Saratha and to the squares of my whole country.”
At the same time, the Turkish interior ministry announced the removal of Imamoglou from its duties, and meetings will be held on March 26th on the election of a new mayor in Istanbul and Bialiktouzou.
Tonight, I send my greetings to millions who want justice in Saraçhane and in the squares around my country. pic.twitter.com/bTEfCjd6M8
– Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu) March 23, 2025
Despite his successes in consolidating his control, Erdogan does not control everything: Markets remain the most dangerous “opposition”. OR sharp drop in pound and raising interest rates They threaten to erode any positive steps after the 2023 elections.
“The global environment is favorable to Erdogan, a careful reader of the time,” said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. ‘I expect no substantial reaction from Europe or the US’
The most powerful opponent
Ekrem Imamoglu has been an important political force since 2019, when he defeated Erdogan’s fine candidate in the municipal elections. “Together we will remove this black mark from our democracy,” he said after his arrest. “I’m standing up, I’ll never bend.”
When the 53 -year -old businessman was chosen to be a candidate for mayor of Turkey’s largest city and economic center in 2019, he was largely an unknown figure.
Imamoglou won the election, making a historical blow to Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which had control of Constantinople for a quarter of a century. Imamoglou served as mayor just 18 days before the election result was canceled and his order was revoked due to alleged irregularities in the votes.
This challenge led to a repeat of the elections a few months later, which Imamoglou won again – this time with greater difference.
Next target the Constitution
The 71 -year -old Erdogan, who under the Constitution does not have the right to new candidacy for the presidential election in 2028, may attempt a review – using The suppression of the opposition and “gestures” to Kurdish voters to gather the necessary parliamentary majority.
But Turkey is already slipping towards a clear regime of authoritarianism, concludes Bloomberg. And if the Allies of the West continue to turn a blind eye, the price for democracy in Turkey can be irreparable.