Reflections on the case of Ekrem Imamoglu in the foreign press

Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, faced accusations that he insulted members of the High Electoral Commission (YSK) in a 2019 speech. After YSK initiated a criminal investigation into Imamoglu’s allegations, Istanbul’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into the matter. In the next trial, Ekrem Imamoglu was charged with “openly insulting government officials working in the chain of committees because of their duties” and a lawsuit was filed. It was required to put Ekrem Imamoglu in jail for the crime attributed to him and impose a political ban. Here, the case, which is closely followed by the whole of Turkey, was decided at the fourth meeting held yesterday. Ekrem Imamoglu was sentenced to 2 years 7 months and 15 days in prison and a political ban. After the decision, which fell like a bomb on Turkey’s agenda, thousands of people began to share messages in support of Ekrem Imamoglu on social networks. On the other hand, a large crowd that had gathered in Istanbul’s Saracan at the call of Imamoglu also met with Ekrem Imamoglu.

On the other hand, the imprisonment of the mayor of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and his political ban received extensive coverage in the foreign press. Some of the world’s leading media regarded this decision as the latest step in increasing pressure on the opposition, while others wrote that the decision could significantly affect the elections to be held next year. And here is the reflection of the case of Ekrem Imamoglu in the foreign press…

The British newspaper The Guardian described Ekrem Imamoglu’s decision as the latest step in increasing pressure on the opposition before the elections.

On the other hand, The Guaridan’s report on the Imamoglu case recalled that Canan Kaftancioglu, chairman of the Republican People’s Party of Istanbul Province, was also sentenced to 5 years in prison and a political ban for “insulting the Republic of Turkey and President Erdogan.”

Another British edition of the Financial Times said that Imamoglu is one of Erdogan’s strongest opponents in the presidential election.

However, the Financial Times wrote that support for the AKP’s 20-year rule has plummeted due to the prolonged economic crisis. Recalling that Ekrem Imamoglu won two elections, one of which was canceled, and became the mayor of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the newspaper reported that the government “Imamoglu is tied up by freezing municipal assets, preventing him from getting loans from state banks and blocking his borrowing in foreign bond markets.“he decided.

The Financial Times report also compared the political life of Imamoglu and Erdogan.

In the news “Imamoglu’s political fortunes sometimes mirror Erdogan’s. After Erdogan was elected mayor of Istanbul in 1994, his fame spread throughout the country. Then, in 1998, he was found guilty of inciting hatred in society in a poem he read, he was banned from politics and had to leave the presidency, and he was imprisoned for four months. The notion that Erdoğan had been unfairly convicted spurred voters on, and in elections four years later, Erdoğan’s Islamist party easily won the election.‘ was stated.

The Independent, “The case of Ekrem Imamoglu”Erdogan’s most popular political rival sentenced to prisondeclared with title

In the details of the news “The fact that Erdogan’s most dangerous political rival may be kept out of next year’s elections has sparked anger.” expressions were used. On the other hand, in the news, where support for Erdogan has waned due to the troubled state of the Turkish economy, Imamoglu is claimed to be more popular than Erdogan, according to opinion polls. Finally, in the articleIronically, Erdogan’s political rise has also been accelerated by his arrest as mayor.” expressions are used.

The New York Times, one of the respected US newspapers, broke the news about the Imamoglu case to its readers with the comment that “Erdogan pushed Turkey towards authoritarianism.”

In a related article in the New York Times: “Erdogan, who has ruled the country for almost 20 years, has pushed Turkey towards greater authoritarianism, using his influence over vast areas of the state to consolidate his own power and undermine his rivals.” expressions are used.

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