ISTANBUL (AP) – The imprisonment of Istanbul’s Opposition MAYOR HASEN WHEN Turkey Finds itself at the center of geopolitical tourmoil that observers
Ecrem of immamogl Was Detained in a Dawn Raid on His Official Residence Last Week. Ten Sunday, A Court Ordered Him to Be Jail Pending Trial for Graft Offenses Inclument Bid-Rigging and Accepting Bibes. He Also Faces Terror-Related Charges.
As mayor of the economic and cultural capital of Turkey with a population of 16 million, Imamoglu is probably Turkey’s second-highest profile politician after Erdogan.
Howver, Analysts Say a Convergence of International Fortors Gave ERDOGAN The opportunity.
“There is a really specific confluence of factories that seemingly easy for the pull off in the notion of the notion international Condemnation or Punishment for Professor of Monica Marx
The Arrest of Imamoglu Over Corruption and Terrorism Allegations Came As A Bombshell Last Wednesday, Despite Legal Casses Against Distress Mayors from His Republican People’s Party, OR CHP.
As ERDOGAN Faced an attempted Coup, Turkey’s Courts Have Widened Their Crackdown on Opposition Partiesusers
The Government, Howver, Says The Courts Are -Full Independent and Denes Claims That Legal Acts Against Opposition Figures Are Politically.
Turkey’s Strategic Assets
The European Union, Which Ussualli Offers Criticism of Turkey’s Democratic Slide, Currently Finds It Weorer Position Vis-A-Vis Turkey Due to “American Abandonment” of Europe Defense, Rusian Aggression, and Its “OWN International Demons” EU-Sceptic Forces Using Migration as a Tool to Gain Relevance, According to Marks.
Ankara is a Position to Offer Succor in All These Areas. Militarily, Turkey Has Nato’s Second Largest Army in Addition to a Well-Deteloped Defense Industry Capable of Supplying Hight-Tech Weaponry Such as Aerial Drones.
Duration the couns of the war in ukraine, Turkey Has Maintained Close Ties with Both Moscow and Kyiv and Has Repeatedly Offfered to ACT AS A Mediator in Peace Talks.
Turkey is also emboldened by the COLLAPSE OF THE ASSAD GOVERNMENT In Neighboring Syria at the Hands of Rebels it Supported Over the Course of the War. These rebels Now Make Up the New Government.
On migration to Europe, ankara has acted as a barrier Signed A 2016 Deal in what agreed to prevel migrants Crossing its borders and seas to reach the eu.
All these strands increase turkey’s geopolitical importance to Europe.
Turkey’s Internal Politics Drove The Timing of Arrest
Presidident Donald Trump’s isolationist Outlook Has Also Strengthened Erdogan’s Hand, Said Marx, While The Populist Authoritarianism Makers What Erdogan is Doing Less Shockingg, Less Concerning For Western DemoCracies. ”
WHile International Elements Offfered Erdogan the opportunity to act against imamoglu, The Timing Was Due to Domestic Factors.
Berk Esen, A Political Scientist at Istanbul’s Sabanci University, Said The CHP’s Decision to Confirmoglu As Its Presidential Candidate for 2028 Was Key to his arrest.
“ERDOGAN WAS HOPEFUL THAT HE CULD SLOW DOWN, IF NOT Completely Hinder, Imamoglu’s Candidacy Prospects,” Esen Said. “But WHEN THE CHP Decided to Hold (Presidential) Primaries, It Became Clear That Imamoglu Would Move Out as the Candidate for the CHP
Those Primaries – in WHich Imamoglu Was the only Candidate – Were Held Sunday, Confirming the imprisoned Imamoglu as Erdogan’s challenger.
The Kurdish Factor
Another Domestic Factor in Erdogan’s Favor Was The Tentative Peace Process Begun with the Kurdistan Workers’ PartyOr PKK, Which Has Waged A 40-Year insurgency Against the Turkish State and is Considered A Terrorist Organization by Turkey and Its Western Allies.
Many Observers have sugged the process is, at least in part, a bid to co-opt turkey’s pro-kurdish party into the supporting Erdogan’s bid for another press. Similarly, it Could Serve to Split The Kurds from the CHP, Presenting Erdogan with a Divided Opposition, Esen Said.
IMAMOGLU HAS EMERGED AS THE MININ Challenger to Erdogan’s 22-YEAR RULE HEAR HE WAS ELECTED MAYOR OF ISTANBUL IN 2019, Overturning A Quarter-Century of Rule of Rule by Partes From Turkey’s Conservative Tradition.
According to Esen, He is the “Perfect” Candidate to Take on Erdogan – Relatively Young at 53, from a conservative Sunni Background But With A “Modern” Wife, and Hailing From The Black Sea Business World That Offers Nationwidewidewide Infection.
He has Outpered Erdogan in Rerest Polls and Repressors What Marx Called The “Last Bastion” of Turkish Opposition.
In the reward years he has been the Target of Several Cool Could Result in Prison Sentances and A Political Ban. Last Week, A University NulliFed Holder DiplomaA Decion that Effectively Bars Him from Running for Presidident.
All of which of what seem unnecessary to arrest and Jail Him, Risking the Public Backlash Currently Being Played Out in the Streets of Turkey.
Selim Koru, A Political Analyst at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey, Said The Earlier Cassier Cassier Case Wool Make Imamoglu Seem A “Perfectian Fine Politian Who Was Unfairly Disqualified.”
Writing in his culturkampf substack, Koru Added: “They had to make the claims force… The strategic rationale is house. Knock Down the CHP WHile You’re at it, Theen Take A Couple of Years for Things to Calm Down. ”
Behind Bars, Marx Said It Represents the “Last Stop on Turkey’s Political Train Before Hits Full Dictatatorship Station.”
