Istanbul Mayor Receives Wide International Support Amid Jail Sentence and Political Ban (original) (raw)

The jail sentence and political ban imposed on Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu has been widely condemned as a blow to Turkish democracy by Western governments, EU officials, European cities and rights groups.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu greets his supporters during a rally in front of the Istanbul Municipality after his trial, in Istanbul, Turkey, 14 December 2022. Photo: Istanbul Municipality

Istanbul’s popular mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, received wide international support following a court decision to sentence him to two years and seven months in prison and impose a ban on political activities.

“This unjust sentence is inconsistent with respect for human rights, with respect to fundamental freedoms and the rule of law,” US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told Reuters. “We remain gravely concerned by the continued indictment of civil society, media, political and business leaders in Turkey, and their prolonged pretrial detention.”

The German Foreign Ministry called the verdict against Imamoglu “a huge blow to democracy,”.

“Particularly in times of an election, freedom of speech is the most important hallmark of a fair contest,” the German Foreign Ministry added.

Imamoglu stood accused of insulting 11 members of Turkey’s High Election Board, YSK, when commenting on the board’s decision to annul and re-run a March 2019 local election in Istanbul. Imamoglu had won the initial vote and won the re-run.

Asked at the time about Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu’s description of him as an “idiot”, Imamoglu replied: “Those who cancelled the March 31 election are idiots.”

Imamoglu and his lawyers insisted his remarks were addressed to Soylu, not the members of the YSK.

The European Parliament rapporteur on Turkey, Nacho Sanchez Amor, said: “Justice in Turkey is in a calamitous state, grossly used for political purposes. Very sad day.”

In addition to Western governments and EU officials, Imamoglu was supported by the Mayors of Euro Cities that represents Florence, Warsaw, Barcelona, Leipzig, Ghent, Braga, Tallinn, Nantes, Oslo, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Vienna.

According to Euro Cities, the conduct of his trial has been nothing more than “a politically motivated attack on a member of the opposition”.

“The decision taken in Turkish courts to persecute a political opponent of the incumbent president represents a sham of democracy, and risks setting Turkey back years in terms of good governance,” the Euro Cities Executive Committee added.

The Party of European Socialists, PES, which holds 145 seats in the European Parliament, said the decision shows that Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan will use any means to maintain his grip on power.

“This is yet another attack on democracy from President Erdogan, who will use any means to keep hold of power, including removing democratically elected reps who oppose him,” PES said.

Human rights watchdog Freedom House said Imamoglu had been jailed and banned from politics on “bogus charges”.

“This decision fundamentally undermines the will of Turkish voters and is a clear violation of democratic principles,” Freedom House wrote.

Imamoglu also found support in the Balkans.

“We stand with Ekrem Imamoglu. With support of people, he defeated Erdogan political puppets twice. He will also defeat the regime’s courts,” Irfan Cengic, a senior member of the Social Democratic Party in Bosnia and Herzegovina, tweeted.

As mayor of Turkey’s economic and cultural powerhouse, the charismatic Imamoglu from the main opposition Republican People’s Party, CHP has emerged as a formidable political opponent and was expected by many to mount a strong challenge to Erdogan’s hold on the presidency in the elections scheduled for 2023.

A protest organised on Wednesday in front of the Istanbul Municipality building was attended by tens of thousands of people.

On Thursday, political party leaders, unions, mayors of other cities and Istanbulites are expected to attend a larger protest at the same location.

Imamoglu will appeal the decision. Until the local court decision is approved by the Court of Cassations, Imamoglu will remain in office.