Beşiktaş Charges
Issue #241
Sharpshooter Yusuf Dikeç, of 2024 Olympics fame, is reportedly selling interviews for one million liras these days. Journalists might squirm, but Ekşi Sözlük approves. We all must live within our memes.
In this week’s recap:
CHP mayor of Beşiktaş detained
Peace process gets mixed signals
Three center-right parties merge
Syrian delegation visits Ankara
Domestic and diplomatic wraps
EU bans ‘Turkaegean’ slogan
Also from us:
Azra Ceylan on the interest rate policy shift in our weekly Economy recap
Diego Cupolo on what’s driving Erdoğan’s “Year of the family” agenda for 2025
On Saturday, CHP leader Özel called on citizens to show Pres. Erdoğan the “red card” over his government policies. By Monday morning, another CHP mayor was detained, prompting this political cartoon. (More on that below)
Rıza Akpolat, mayor of İstanbul’s Beşiktaş district and opposition stronghold, is facing corruption charges involving alleged bid-rigging for the sale of a hospital building, according to a statement by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Akpolat was transferred to a courthouse this morning and has made only a brief statement at the time of writing.
This is the second investigation on a CHP mayor in recent months. Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer was detained on Oct. 30 and replaced by a state-appointed trustee, or kayyım. Both mayors were elected in the March 2024 local elections, though Akpolat has led the Beşiktaş municipality since 2019.
Özel called the latest detention an unlawful act orchestrated by a “politicized justice system”. During a protest in Beşiktaş Monday night, he said prosecutors were working “step by step” to implicate İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a potential presidential candidate facing his own corruption trial.
Berk Esen, assoc. prof. of political science at İstanbul’s Sabancı University, said Akpolat’s detention was “clearly politically-charged” with possible repercussions for İmamoğlu.
“The circle is narrowing,” Esen told Turkey recap. “Linking this to İmamoğlu won’t be easy. It will take time, but Erdoğan has time. I'm not anticipating early elections this year or even next year. So, Erdoğan has time to put together a case.”
During a press conference Wednesday, İmamoğlu addressed concerns the Beşiktaş investigation might pose as an obstacle for his political future, daring the government to make a move.
"Since I am your target, uphold my sentence and leave the people alone. Bring it on," İmamoğlu said, using the phrase “hodri meydan” in Turkish.
Commenting on developments, Burak Bilgehan Özpek, a professor of political science at TOBB University of Economics and Technology in Ankara, said the CHP could face deeper problems if potential presidential candidates like İmamoğlu or Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş keep getting drawn into municipal crises.
“The CHP is very stuck on local issues,” Özpek told Turkey recap. “This is a very problematic image for public opinion because Erdoğan deals with macro issues like Syria, the economy, foreign policy and security.”
“But the opposition deals with micro issues like, kent lokantaları, kindergartens or other local issues.”
Speaking at the CHP parliamentary group meeting Wednesday, Özel alternatively framed the investigation as an attempt to divert public discourse away from recent price hikes and complaints about the minimum wage rate – both subjects of his “red card” speech Saturday.
When asked about the “red card” prop, which drew mixed reactions, Özpek said he believed Özel was being targeted by journalists and CHP members who still support ex-CHP chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, and that some criticisms highlight fractures within the opposition party.
“Özgur Özel is a scapegoat,” he said, noting he shares concerns about Özel’s leadership capacity. “The red card might work or it might be ridiculous. I don't care, but I think there is an ongoing campaign against Özgur Özel to humiliate him in the public eye.”
– Diego Cupolo
Kayyım As You Spar: Peace process gets mixed signals
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Turkey recap to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.