Opposition in Turkey Appoints Interim Mayor of Istanbul Following Imamoglu’s Imprisonment
The municipal council of Istanbul, now led by the opposition, has appointed an interim mayor following the imprisonment of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is facing trial on corruption charges that he and his supporters assert are politically motivated.
Last week’s detention of Mr. Imamoglu, a prominent political adversary of President Tayyip Erdogan, sparked the most significant anti-government protests in Turkey in over ten years, resulting in mass arrests as hundreds of thousands joined in largely peaceful demonstrations.
Mr. Imamoglu’s imprisonment on Sunday has drawn condemnation from the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), as well as from Western leaders, other opposition factions, and human rights organizations, all characterizing it as an anti-democratic act aimed at neutralizing a political contender for Mr. Erdogan.
The government, however, denies any interference with the judiciary, asserting that the courts operate independently.
The Istanbul council, which consists of 314 members and has a CHP majority, elected Nuri Aslan from the party as the city’s interim mayor, receiving 177 votes, as reported by NTV.
This interim mayor will oversee the city until the conclusion of Mr. Imamoglu’s term while he awaits trial.
Ekrem Imamoglu was detained last week.
The election of the interim mayor prevents the government from assigning a trustee to manage the municipality, a tactic it has employed in several other cities, especially in the predominantly Kurdish southeast, amid a protracted legal campaign against the opposition.
CHP chairman Ozgur Ozel, who visited Mr. Imamoglu in jail a day prior, stated at the Istanbul Municipality in Sarachane that the interim mayor’s election obstructed Mr. Erdogan’s intentions to install a trustee in the municipality.
“The struggle will expand throughout Turkey from this point forward, but one leg will always remain in Istanbul, and one hand will always rest on Sarachane,” Mr. Ozel remarked, adding that public resistance has thwarted what the opposition describes as a “coup attempt” against it.
Interim Mayor Aslan, who was alongside Mr. Ozel, acknowledged that the role was temporarily entrusted to him.
“Our mayor, elected by the votes of Istanbul, will return as soon as possible. Together with our chairman, we will fulfill the responsibilities he has entrusted to us and return them to him,” he stated.
Widespread anti-government protests have erupted in Turkey following Ekrem Imamoglu’s arrest.
‘A dark time for democracy’ in Turkey
Thousands have gathered for the seventh consecutive night in protests organized by the CHP in the Sarachane district, home to the Istanbul city hall that Mr. Imamoglu has governed since 2019.
At the rally, Mr. Ozel announced a mass gathering scheduled for Saturday in Istanbul, which he claimed would be the “largest open-air referendum in history,” aimed at calling for early elections.
In response to protesters, riot police deployed water cannons, pepper spray, and rubber bullets, resulting in the Council of Europe condemning a “disproportionate” use of force. Human Rights Watch stated it marked a “dark time for democracy” in Turkey.
Ozgur Ozel addressed a crowd outside a municipality building in Istanbul.
The United Nations has expressed concern over Turkey’s extensive use of mass detentions and its “unlawful blanket ban on protests,” urging authorities to investigate any unlawful uses of force.
Following a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also conveyed “concerns.”
However, Mr. Ozel assured the Sarachane crowd, “We do not wane in numbers with arrests—our ranks will only grow.”
He pointed out that the extent of the crackdown had left “no room left in Istanbul prisons.”
Economic impact
Following Mr. Imamoglu’s detention, Turkish financial assets plummeted, prompting the central bank to utilize its reserves to stabilize the lira.
The government states that the effects of these fluctuations will be limited and temporary.
Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan noted that the bank has taken proactive measures to ensure effective market operations while maintaining its strict monetary policy stance.
He asserted that the turmoil has not disrupted the fundamental dynamics of the economy, highlighting that the bank’s foreign exchange reserves remain in a “very strong” position despite last week’s intervention to bolster the lira.
“We have proactively implemented every necessary measure while adhering to market rules, and we will continue to do so. The central bank possesses a wide range of robust instruments,” he stated.
The CHP has announced its intention to continue mobilizing and pressuring the government.
On Sunday, coinciding with the announcement of Mr. Imamoglu’s arrest, the party designated him as their presidential candidate for the upcoming elections and called for a boycott of various media outlets, brands, and stores it considers pro-Erdogan.
Additionally, the opposition plans to hold an extraordinary congress on April 6 to prevent authorities from appointing a trustee to oversee the party after prosecutors initiated an investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding its last congress in 2023.
