Turkey opposition leader says Imamoglu trial is purely political

By Daren Butler and Ali Kucukgocmen

ISTANBUL, March 11 (Reuters) – The trial of Istanbul’s jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, is a purely political affair aimed at preventing him from challenging President Tayyip Erdogan in the next election, Turkey’s main opposition leader told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.

Imamoglu, 55, appeared in court on Monday in the opening hearing of a sweeping corruption case involving more than 400 defendants linked to the Istanbul municipality.

Prosecutors accuse him of leading a criminal organisation for profit through tender-rigging and bribery, charges he and his Republican People’s Party (CHP) deny.

“Let me put it plainly. In Turkey, what is happening is not a trial in the normal sense of the word. It is not a legal process but a political one,” CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said.

The judges handling the case have been tasked “not with conducting a fair trial but with delivering the decision that Erdogan wants”, he said.

Erdogan’s government denies influencing the judiciary and says Turkey’s courts are independent. The investigation into the Istanbul municipality was led by Akin Gurlek, who last month was appointed justice minister.

Imamoglu has been held in pre-trial detention for nearly a year amid an unprecedented judicial crackdown on the CHP that rights groups and opposition figures say has damaged the democratic credentials of NATO member Turkey. 

KEEPING IMAMOGLU BEHIND BARS

Ozel said he did not expect Imamoglu to be released from detention during his trial, adding that such an outcome would require greater social pressure within Turkey, international pressure, or a further drop in Erdogan’s poll ratings.

Ozel said Erdogan wanted to keep Imamoglu in prison because, if released, he could campaign across the country ahead of elections that the opposition leader believes will take place next year, ahead of schedule.

“If Imamoglu gets out, he could travel all over Turkey and launch a major campaign. That is why Erdogan wants to keep him inside,” he said.

Opinion polls show Imamoglu performing strongly against Erdogan in any presidential race, while party polling suggests a tight race between the secularist CHP and Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted AKP, with the CHP holding a narrow lead.

Ozel said Turkish democracy had sharply deteriorated under Erdogan, who has led Turkey as prime minister or president since 2003.

“Turkey’s democracy has probably gone back 50 or 60 years,” he said. “We have fallen into what I would call the third division in the world.”

Ozel also said he expected pressure on the opposition to intensify as elections approach.

“Things will get worse, and [Erdogan] will become more aggressive. We are open to every kind of attack, both through legal channels and through other means,” he said, adding that the opposition was not afraid and believed it would defeat Erdogan and his ruling AK Party at the ballot box.

Ozel said he believed Erdogan was preparing for an early election in September or October 2027 rather than waiting until the scheduled 2028 vote because under the constitution an earlier ballot could allow the president to run again.

“We want an election as soon as possible,” Ozel added. “If the election is held in June 2028, Erdogan cannot run. If it is held early, he can.”

(Reporting by Daren Butler, Writing by Ece ToksabayEditing by Gareth Jones)