Under the smell of tear gas in Istanbul at night in Istanbul, there is a reference to something else – slowly, fear and anxiety by the long-standing Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
One of his rivals is behind the court table – so far, so familiar.
But the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekem Imamuğlu shows that President Erdogan has been very violent. The Republican opposition mayor (CHP), which calls a large crowd to the streets, is certainly hopeful.
Ekem Imamuglu – always appears intelligent, even when he is preparing for detention – is the main rival for the Turkish leader, which is increasingly dictatorial. He could have been replaced in the presidential election, which is scheduled to be held by
But this is much more than a row about the fate of the mayor of Istanbul – charismatic, although it may be.
Freedom and democracy were constantly destroyed during Erdogan’s time. Many people see this as an opportunity to call for a standing and stop the decline for a complete autocracy – if it’s not too late.
And every night they come out and bravely bravely riot police, tear gas and rubber bullets, banning demonstrations, closing roads and bridges and the dangers of detention.
More than 1,000 people have been arrested so far – in just five days – and counting. That’s an indication of how easy it is to be arrested here.
Turkey claims to be an effective democracy – and that is also the same. There are elections. In general, voters’ participation is high – The Turks consider their right to go to the polls valuable and vote. Voting is largely fair to a large extent, on the day itself.
The problem is that it happens away from the polling stations.
Opposition politicians can be imprisoned. Critics were afraid. Protesters were arrested. The media is largely under control. A tweet that makes fun of the president can land in a cell. Until a referendum comes on, there is a tsunami to cover the government and the opposition is struggling to take a look at it.
Ekem Imamuglu is the kind of politician who can cut all this and reach the voters. He is a media expert and was elected mayor of Istanbul three times. He is now accused of corruption, bribery and running a criminal organization.
If punished, it can be prevented in a presidential race. He is already appealing against his previous sentences and two years in prison for insulting election officials.
Turkey insists that it is independent courts and simply follow the law. Human rights activists here, and independent analysts make fun of the idea.
The election campaign, Human Rights Watch said that the arrest of the mayor with about 100 municipal officials and other politicians is “a political step to drown the lawful political activities. In the past, he has criticized the “political decisions of the courts in Turkey.
In a post in X, which has 9.6 million followers, Imamoglu said the case was against a “black spot on our democracy”: “I’m tall.
The 71-year-old may be afraid – a younger younger, at the age of 53, and calls for conservative Turkish voters, and is ready for a long-term war.
So, what’s going on now?
Protests can achieve more pressure and continue to spread. He presents a serious challenge to Erdogan. To what extent before the security forces suppressed more armed forces? How much before someone died in a protest? There is a breaking point for every strong regime, and it can be with one bullet.
The opposition intends to continue pressure and demonstrations.
But after two decades at the top, Erdogan still has many loyal supporters. He controlled all the rulers of power in a virtual manner and is likely to decide on his own hanging. He will be in demonstrations that will end over time.
The president and the ruling AK hope the demonstrators are tired and go back to concerns about inflation (39% in February), and the value of the Turkish lira depreciation, not freedom of speech and democracy.
In the coming days and weeks, they will try the survival of both sides. But if there is a lesson learning from street protests in other nations of dictatorship, rapid progress is unlikely.