ISTANBUL – Turkey’s primary opposition figure branded the ongoing trial of imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as a blatant political maneuver to block his potential run against President Tayyip Erdogan in upcoming elections, speaking exclusively to Reuters on March 11.
The 55-year-old Imamoglu faced court on March 9 for the initial session of a massive corruption probe implicating over 400 individuals tied to the Istanbul municipality. Prosecutors claim he orchestrated a profit-driven crime syndicate via rigged tenders and bribes, allegations rejected outright by Imamoglu and his Republican People’s Party (CHP).
CHP chief Ozgur Ozel minced no words: “This isn’t a genuine trial or legal proceeding in Turkey, it’s purely political.” He accused the presiding judges of serving Erdogan’s desired verdict rather than upholding justice. Erdogan’s administration insists on judicial independence, noting the probe’s lead investigator, Akin Gurlek, now serves as justice minister after a February appointment.
Imamoglu has languished in pre-trial detention for almost a year, part of what critics and human rights advocates decry as an extraordinary judicial assault on the CHP, eroding NATO ally Turkey’s democratic standing.
Ozel predicted no release for Imamoglu mid-trial without surging domestic unrest, global scrutiny, or plummeting Erdogan approval ratings. “Erdogan fears a free Imamoglu barnstorming Turkey for a national campaign before anticipated 2027 polls,” he explained. Surveys pit Imamoglu favorably against Erdogan in a head-to-head presidential matchup, with CHP edging Erdogan’s AKP in party races.
Under Erdogan’s two-decade dominance as premier or president, Ozel lamented, “Turkey’s democracy has regressed 50 to 60 years, we’ve sunk to the world’s third division.” He foresaw escalating opposition harassment as elections loom, with Erdogan growing bolder via courts or otherwise, yet vowed resilience: “We’re ready for all assaults and confident we’ll trounce Erdogan and the AK Party at the polls.”
Ozel anticipates snap elections in September or October 2027, earlier than the 2028 schedule to exploit constitutional loopholes letting Erdogan seek another term. “We crave polls now,” he urged, as a full-term vote would bar Erdogan’s candidacy.