Someone decided these Ankara street signs are cool now, and people are lining up to take photos with them. Finally, a local tourist attraction that can compete with Batıkent.
In this week’s recap:
Imamoğlu faces 2,352-year jail term
Sharaa and Fidan go to Washington
Military plane crash kills 20, cause unknown
Domestic and diplomatic wraps
Man has “no regrets” after toy gun raid
Also from us this week:
Daniel Thorpe and Wouter Massink on how peace talks may open Turkey’s southeast to business and resource extraction
Former US Amb. James Jeffrey on what Sharaa’s DC visit means for Ankara
Another week, another legal quandary. Since our last recap, Turkey moved one step closer to essentially applying political bans on jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu and the main opposition CHP – with the latter part disputed, but we’ll get to that.
Starting from the top, the networks and activities of the so-called “Imamoğlu criminal organization for profit” were outlined in a nearly 4,000-page indictment Tuesday issued by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and it was apparently shared with pro-government Yeni Şafak before the courts.
The charges allege Imamoğlu collected bribes and illegally raised money from business circles to fund his political ambitions with photographs serving as evidence. Among other things, he is also accused of paying journalists, rigging tenders and sharing voter data – charges he and the CHP have denied.
Stüdyo recap has more details here. A trial date is expected once the indictment is formally accepted.
The main takeaway is the opposition’s presidential candidate, Imamoğlu, faces up to 2,352 years in jail for new corruption charges that some argue could implicate the CHP and lead to another party closure threat.
That interpretation first came from the pro-opposition Sözcü, and stems from page 258 of the indictment, which argues the CHP oversaw the irregular use ballot box data and should be assessed under Constitutional Article 69 by the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals – which can decide on political parties closures.
Still with us? Good, because the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office refuted that Tuesday afternoon, saying: “Contrary to what some media outlets have stated, there is no request to shut down the party.” Legal experts also said the CHP does not face a closure threat.
CHP chair Özgür Özel remains unconvinced. Speaking at a rally in Sultanbeyli, Istanbul, Wednesday night, he asked:
“Isn’t shutting down a party the work of coup plotters? … When democratic politics should be conducted through competition, isn’t it cowardice to try to defeat those you can’t beat by using judges and prosecutors to take them down?”
Analysis: Based on past political trials in Turkey, Imamoğlu’s latest indictment will likely involve a “a long and drawn-out process” that could end with “heavy sentences”, said Seren Selvin Korkmaz, co-director of the İstanPol Institute and Mercator-IPC Fellow at the İstanbul Policy Center.
Korkmaz told Turkey recap the risk of a new closure case against the CHP, whether real or not, also has utility for the ruling alliance.
“First, it makes both the [CHP] and its leadership feel constantly at risk and insecure. Second, it confines the CHP to a defensive posture, limiting its ability to focus on policy-making and political agenda-setting.”
“As a result, instead of debating its own policies and solutions, the party is portrayed as being trapped in a ‘resistance mode,’ which is precisely what the government intends.”
Projecting the current dynamics into the future amid an ongoing peace process and upcoming debates on constitutional amendments, Korkmaz said CHP could enter the next election period – expected in 2028 or earlier – absorbed “with its own internal struggles, rather than fully focusing on its political agenda.”
“At this point, the party’s prospects will largely depend on two factors: growing public dissatisfaction with the regime, and the CHP’s ability to propose creative policy alternatives and sustain a strong political struggle.”
Crossing the Rubiocon: Sharaa and Fidan go to Washington
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