Turkey opposition leader says Imamoglu trial is purely political

ISTANBUL – The trial of Istanbul’s jailed mayor, Mr Ekrem Imamoglu, is a purely political affair aimed at preventing him from challenging President Tayyip Erdogan in the next election, Turkey’s main opposition leader told Reuters in an interview on March 11.

Mr Imamoglu, 55, appeared in court on March 9 in the opening hearing of a sweeping corruption case involving more than 400 defendants linked to the Istanbul municipality.

Prosecutors accuse him of leading a criminal organisation for profit through tender-rigging and bribery, charges he and his Republican People’s Party (CHP) deny.

“Let me put it plainly. In Turkey, what is happening is not a trial in the normal sense of the word. It is not a legal process but a political one,” CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said.

The judges handling the case have been tasked “not with conducting a fair trial but with delivering the decision that Erdogan wants”, he said.

Mr Erdogan’s government denies influencing the judiciary and says Turkey’s courts are independent. The investigation into the Istanbul municipality was led by Mr Akin Gurlek, who in February was appointed justice minister.

Mr Imamoglu has been held in pre-trial detention for nearly a year, amid an unprecedented judicial crackdown on the CHP that rights groups and opposition figures say has damaged the democratic credentials of NATO member Turkey.

Keeping Imamoglu behind bars

Mr Ozel said he did not expect Mr Imamoglu to be released from detention during his trial, adding that such an outcome would require greater social pressure within Turkey, international pressure, or a further drop in Mr Erdogan’s poll ratings.

He said Mr Erdogan wanted to keep Mr Imamoglu in prison because, if released, he could campaign across the country ahead of elections that the opposition leader believes will take place in 2027, ahead of schedule.

“If Imamoglu gets out, he could travel all over Turkey and launch a major campaign. That is why Erdogan wants to keep him inside,” he said.

Opinion polls show Mr Imamoglu performing strongly against Mr Erdogan in any presidential race, while party polling suggests a tight race between the secularist CHP and Mr Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted AKP, with the CHP holding a narrow lead.

Mr Ozel said Turkish democracy had sharply deteriorated under Mr Erdogan, who has led Turkey as prime minister or president since 2003.

“Turkey’s democracy has probably gone back 50 or 60 years,” he said. “We have fallen into what I would call the third division in the world.”

Mr Ozel also said he expected pressure on the opposition to intensify as elections approach.

“Things will get worse, and (Erdogan) will become more aggressive. We are open to every kind of attack, both through legal channels and through other means,” he said, adding that the opposition was not afraid and believed it would defeat Mr Erdogan and his ruling AKP at the ballot box.

Mr Ozel said he believed Mr Erdogan was preparing for an early election in September or October 2027, rather than waiting until the scheduled 2028 vote, because under the Constitution, an earlier ballot could allow the president to run again.

“We want an election as soon as possible,” Mr Ozel added. “If the election is held in June 2028, Erdogan cannot run. If it is held early, he can.” REUTERS