Imamoglu’s warning about Erdogan’s political future

According to the international group Tasnim news agency, Akram Imamoglu, who with a high vote and a significant distance Dar, once again defeated the candidate supported by Erdogan and became the mayor of Istanbul, has a lot to say. who will probably be the next president of the Republic of Turkey.

The English newspaper Financial Times went to Imamoglu and talked with him about the political climate of Turkey. The mayor of Istanbul believes that if the president of Turkey does not receive the election message of the people, his political life will be short-lived.

A politician Javan, two important books
The English newspaper Financial Times wrote in the introduction of the interview; “The re-election of Akram Imamoglu as the mayor of Istanbul created a strong enthusiasm among the opposition of the ruling party of Turkey and established the position of this 52-year-old man as the main enemy of Erdogan”.

One of the important and key sentences In the description of the Istanbul mayor’s office, the aforementioned newspaper refers to two books on Imamoglu’s desk. According to the English newspaper, only two books are displayed on the mayor’s desk, one of which is the Holy Quran. and the other is the book of speeches of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey and the first leader of the People’s Republic Party. Erdogan and the ruling party have been presented as an atheist and pro-gay. But on the first day of the victory, Imamoglu, together with his veiled mother and other members of his family, performed prayers and thanksgiving ceremony in his office in a traditional and religious way.

This meaningful political behavior of Imamoglu, This means that the People’s Republic Party, which has always been called a secular party and an enemy of religious people, has now changed its course and seeks to attract the attention of conservative Turkish people.

He said: “I really I want the Republic of Turkey to remain for centuries in a secular order, in a democratic order and by accepting the principle of pluralism. That’s why on the first day of work, here in the office, I prayed with my family and prayed for my success.”

Warning to Erdogan
Imamoglu said about Erdogan’s loss of popularity: “The political party Erdogan lost his territory and land in the local elections. This is a clear sign that Turkish voters have rejected the president’s authoritarian approach and tight control over government institutions. Because domestic and international analysts have repeatedly expressed concern about the erosion and loss of the rule of law and the independence of the Turkish judiciary. And while Erdogan is entering the third decade of his leadership in this country of 85 million people. If he does not receive the message of the people and continues to do the same things as before, he will undoubtedly shorten his political life”.

Imamoglu said about the damages of Turkey’s political and executive structure: They removed a parliament and now the political and executive structure of Turkey has turned into a regime. This is a system where even the director of an institution in Istanbul cannot use his powers without political instructions without the permission of the president. Therefore, we can call this presidential structure an authoritarian regime. But I think that this election finally conveyed the message of the people and showed that they have condemned and rejected this whole procedure”. “Voters in Sunday’s local elections effectively delivered an earthquake for Turkey’s ruling party by supporting Mansur Yovas in Ankara and Imamoglu in Istanbul. Meanwhile, Erdogan campaigned heavily for Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidates and prioritized regaining control of Turkey’s largest city. Erdoğan had the state-affiliated media cover all the speeches of the ruling party’s candidate and also sent all his ministers to the square to ask Istanbul residents for their votes directly. This is why Imamoglu also believes that what happened in this city was not just an attempt to hold elections in Istanbul and had more political significance.”

Is Imamoglu going to jail?
Before the 2023 elections, Erdogan did something strange to scare Imamoglu. He asked several government-affiliated judges to file a case against the mayor of Istanbul and end his political life. Financial Times newspaper wrote about this issue: “You are serving your second term as the mayor of Istanbul while You start with two big legal cases against you. One is that you were accused of insulting a politician in 2022, and the other is the corruption case, which your lawyer called baseless, and the United States also blamed the Turkish government for these accusations. Are you afraid that they will send you to prison with these two accusations?” Imamoglu replied: “I am not the one who should be afraid. It’s Erdogan”.

The worst blow to Erdogan
Financial Times in its analysis of the atmosphere Turkish politician wrote: The drop in popularity of Erdogan’s party in the local elections was an unusual figure. For two decades, Erdogan has become accustomed to delivering emotional victory speeches. But this time he had to admit that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered its worst blow since coming to power in 2002.

In a remarkable turnaround, the People’s Republic Party won 38 percent of the vote. won Turkey, while support for the Justice and Development Party dropped to 35 percent. Erdogan’s opposition party not only won the mayorships of key Turkish cities such as Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, but also defeated the Justice and Development Party in cities across Anatolia and the center of the country. Turkey is played on a completely uneven playing field with unequal conditions. Because Erdogan shamelessly uses state machinery to support his party’s election campaigns.

The local elections proved that millions of Turkish citizens retain their deep belief in the power of the ballot box and are willing to use it to express themselves. use their dissatisfaction with the president and the rule of the Justice and Development Party.

This does not mean that there has been a significant change in the balance of power. Erdogan controls virtually all the levers of government after replacing a parliamentary system with an executive presidency through a controversial constitutional referendum in 2017. However, it is a wake-up call for the president.

After the local elections, it is now crucial that Erdogan stays on track to restore the economy and resists any urge to return to previous destructive policies. . Because returning to the wrong policy of the past will be a disaster for Turkey.

Also, there should be no attempt to use government tools to neutralize the successes of the opposition. Imamoglu, a charismatic leader who has shown a rare ability to bridge Turkey’s social divides, has clearly emerged as the most credible opposition figure to challenge Erdogan.

The president should not be tempted to use evil tools to suppress him and the opponents.

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