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Ekrem Imamoğlu, the former mayor of Istanbul who was arrested in March on corruption charges, has pleaded with Western powers to help him and counter Ankara’s efforts to secure his release.
His comments echo earlier remarks by his Republican People’s Party (CHP) chair, Özgür Özel, who complained about the imprisonment of Imamoğlu and other mayors allegedly involved in corruption and sought European Union assistance.
In a correspondence with Bloomberg from Silivri prison, where he is held, Imamoğlu resorted to the tired accusation of “democratic backsliding” in Türkiye as he called upon “democratic governments not to remain silent.” He claimed that other countries remaining silent on his arrest was “myopic,” reiterating earlier remarks by Özel about the “pragmatist approach” of different countries, which involved adhering to silence on the mayor’s arrest.
The mayor faces a wide array of accusations focusing on what prosecutors call a criminal network he led. The network at the heart of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) reportedly took bribes from businesspeople in exchange for permits issued by the municipality. Some suspects who collaborated with authorities as part of a plea deal claimed Imamoğlu sought to fund his campaign for the presidency through bribes.
Imamoğlu’s political future remains uncertain as a fake diploma scandal curbed his ambitions to compete in a future presidential election, but in the interview on Wednesday, he underlined the CHP’s determination to defeat President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. “If the path forward requires another candidate, that person must carry our vision for justice, prosperity and peace,” Imamoğlu said in a social media post about the interview. Even if he is acquitted of the charges he faced, the former mayor cannot run against Erdoğan, as his diploma was revoked, and presidential candidates are required to hold a university diploma.
