"By all indicators - human rights, democracy, justice, economy - Turkey is going downhill. Many people hope that this situation will end as soon as possible and that the country will return to a modern constitutional order. All hopes in this regard are linked to İmamoğlu", says Gökhan Günaydin, the deputy chairman of the opposition Republican People's Party and confidant of the Istanbul mayor, to ARD. According to him, threats and arrests will not stop Ekrem İmamoğlu's political activities.
Do you know under what conditions Ekrem İmamoğlu is being held and how he feels?
Mr. Günaydın: He is being held in the Istanbul police station's detention center, in a small room divided by bars. Unfortunately, the conditions are very bad. They didn't even provide him with a blanket, and we asked to bring one to him. But Ekrem said he would only accept him if all the detainees received one. In this way, 130 blankets were quickly provided.
He spends his nights on mattresses, wrapped in blankets. Despite the terrible conditions, he shows high spirits, even joking with the officials: "This place needs renovation. We from the municipality can quickly modernize it and hand it over to you again". I mean, he is now infecting the police station with his usual positive energy.
Despite his arrest, Imamoglu wants to run for president. Why is this so important to him?
Mr. Günaydın: Turkey has been ruled by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) for years. Especially since the constitutional amendment in 2017, the country has been ruled by a one-man regime that has abolished the separation of powers and control mechanisms. Hopes for change in this regard are mainly placed on İmamoğlu.
In the 2019 mayoral elections, he defeated the AKP candidate in Istanbul, but was removed from office after only 20 days. Then, in the new elections in June of the same year, he won by a huge majority - his lead increased from 13,000 to 800,000 votes. Since then, he has systematically faced obstacles, slander, accusations of terrorism and financial abuse. Despite this, he won the local elections in 2024 with an even larger majority.
Current sociological surveys show that İmamoğlu would defeat Erdoğan in the presidential elections. After the Republican People's Party (CHP) scheduled the party's primary elections for the nomination of its presidential candidate for March 23, the attacks on İmamoğlu intensified: almost every week new investigations are launched against him, his party activities are being hindered, and mayors from the CHP have been arrested.
If you are politically active in Turkey - especially against a man like Erdoğan, who has been in power for 23 years - you need firmness and steadfastness. Millions of people are shouting: "Get rid of this corrupt system!". This is İmamoğlu's motivation. Threats and blackmail should not be allowed to block his political activities.
Do you believe in Turkish justice?
Mr. Günaydın: Before I express my subjective opinion, I would like to tell you what people think. According to surveys, trust in the judiciary in Turkey is only 17-18 percent. Even voters of the AKP and the Nationalist Action Party, i.e. Erdogan's supporters, no longer trust the judiciary. It has become a tool of the government. The repression has reached the point that Imamoglu, who was elected by 16 million people, is practically paralyzed. In Turkey, we can no longer be sure that we have an independent judiciary.
How do you assess the mood in society - do you sense support or is fear growing among Imamoglu's supporters?
G. Günaydın: The government is betting on intimidating people. But when Imamoglu was arrested, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in front of Istanbul City Hall to protest. These protests are spreading throughout the country - even in conservative cities like Konya, Ankara and Trabzon. Demonstrations are now taking place in dozens of Turkish cities, and more and more people are saying: "Enough is enough". The government can instill fear, but it cannot stop solidarity.
What does Imamoglu's arrest mean for the opposition in Turkey?
G. Günaydın: Imamoğlu is not only the mayor of Istanbul, but also one of the most important political figures in the country. According to public opinion polls, no one believes the accusations made against him. People know that they are politically motivated. Unfortunately, we do not have enough support in parliament to force early elections - the ruling party has a majority there. Therefore, we are trying to use external pressure to force the government to schedule new elections as soon as possible. In the next parliamentary elections, the defeat of Erdogan and the AKP is inevitable anyway.
Author: Damla Hekimoğlu (ARD)