Ekrem İmamoğlu, the immensely popular and successful mayor of Istanbul, is among the most recognizable public figures in Türkiye and globally.
Unfortunately, he's also become the face of injustice, subjected to an onslaught of weaponized lawfare which ought to be a cautionary tale for all democracies under authoritarian pressure.
İmamoğlu’s success as a potential alternative national leader has no doubt motivated the charges. The 52-year-old handily won re-election over the ruling party’s chosen candidate this past spring, solidifying his support base over the city of 16 million and the main economic engine of the country.
His case exemplifies how, under the guise of legality, Türkiye is chipping away at its democratic foundations and turning increasingly authoritarian.
The charges against İmamoğlu — centered on an alleged "insult" to a public official — are as trivial as they are transparent in their intent.
His real offense appears to be winning Istanbul’s mayoral seat in 2019 against the candidate put forward by the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP.
That victory, first annulled then confirmed by an even greater margin in a re-run election, was an embarrassing public rebuke to the AKP, whose power is heavily anchored in Istanbul. Seeking to punish İmamoğlu, AKP operatives responded by unleashing a series of legal challenges against him in hopes of undermining his political prospects.
Most recently, on Oct. 30, Ahmet Özer — a Kurdish-origin mayor of Esenyurt, a district in Istanbul, former academic, and professor who served as an advisor to Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu — was detained and jailed.
He was taken from his home at 5 a.m. in a harsh raid by fully-equipped special forces, and a crony was appointed to his position the very next day.
This was not the last instance of crony trustee appointments justified by baseless allegations of national security reasons.
One week later, the mayors of three other cities in different provinces of Turkiye were also replaced by appointed officials, bypassing the usual procedural vote by members of the city council.
In Türkiye, municipalities are now under significant financial strain. Especially following the government's announcement of austerity measures, municipalities are not allowed to invest in any projects, such as infrastructure, transportation and any other major initiatives.
For municipalities controlled by opposition parties, these nationwide austerity measures also appear to serve as a pretext to limit their ability to deliver essential services. This is basically a tactical maneuver to corner and set up sitting opposition mayors for failure.
This weaponization of the judiciary is part of a familiar playbook used by authoritarian regimes around the world. From Russia to Uganda and Venezuela, leaders facing significant political threats routinely mobilize the prosecutors and courts to disqualify, arrest, or intimidate opposition figures.
Instead of treason charges, it is tax fraud. Instead of incitement or politically related offenses, it is defamation.
The tactic is simple but effective: by using the rational veneer of state judicial institutions to harass political opponents, these regimes not only curb dissent but create an aura of legitimacy around their actions, masking repression as legal compliance — and sometimes all that is needed as the outcome is to remove them from ballots.
Today, what İmamoğlu faces is not isolated misfortune but the manifestation of a deeper malaise within the Turkish system, one marked by political favoritism, cronyism, nepotism, and legal retribution against those who challenge the status quo.
The erosion of democratic principles extends beyond the courts.
In recent years, Türkiye’s ruling party has increasingly stifled dissent through restrictive measures on public assembly, freedom of speech, and independent journalism.
Financial penalties and constant legal harassment of opposition figures have become standard tactics, draining their resources and diminishing their influence.
This environment leaves the average citizen feeling disillusioned and vulnerable, unprotected by the very institutions meant to uphold justice.
The consequences of this repression are deeply damaging.
The politics are unable to respond to the public discontent with the ruling party’s mismanagement of the economy — which includes a baffling series of trial-and-error policies to tackle inflation and control foreign exchange, adding additional burden to all households.
The public’s faith in the judicial system erodes when the law is used selectively to protect allies and punish rivals.
With each instance of legal harassment, Türkiye drifts further from the principles of fairness and equality, intensifying political polarization and undermining societal cohesion.
Citizens sense this shift and worry about the future of democracy in their country, fearing that, if left unchecked, this authoritarian drift will drag Türkiye into a politically comatose state, where citizens no longer have any trust or faith in their representatives.
The persecution of Ekrem İmamoğlu serves as a stark reminder that Türkiye’s battle for democracy is far from over.
As the country grapples with these challenges, it’s essential for citizens of Turkiye and the global community to recognize the high stakes involved.
The survival of Türkiye’s democratic values and institutions depends on continued vigilance and a collective commitment to push back against authoritarianism.
The future of Turkish democracy lies in whether leaders and citizens can resist these oppressive forces and fight for a fair, free, democratic, and just society.
Bilal Bilici is a member of the Grand National Assembly of the Republic of Turkiye, representing the Southern province of Adana as a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP).
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