Imamoğlu detention could return parliamentary system

Turkish journlaist

TEHRAN, (MNA) – A Turkish journalist has told Mehr in an interview that the arrest of opposition Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu could return Turkey to the parliamentary system from the current presidential one.

The detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu made headlines in Turkey and across the world on Wednesday.

Turkish journalist and analyst Mustafa Kemal Erdemol told Mehr in an interview that his illegal arrest comes with implications for politcs in Turkey.

"The political consequences of this development will be significant, but what matters most is the reaction of the voters to it. The public opinion is that Ekrem İmamoğlu has been treated unfairly, and this feeling may show itself at the ballot boxes. A similar situation previously occurred in the past. İmamoğlu won the local election for Istanbul when he ran for the first time and in the first round, and he was elected by a narrow margin of 15,000 votes. But the ruling Justice and Development Party or the AKP refused to accept this defeat and illegally held a second round. In the second round, İmamoğlu won by a difference of 800,000 votes. This shows that when the Turkish people see injustice, they react to it at the ballot boxes. The votes of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the main opposition party to the Erdogan government, have long been increasing significantly."

"For thiat reason, the CHP has repeatedly called for early elections. On the other hand, İmamoğlu has announced that he will run for president. Erdoğan cannot an opponent to İmamoğlu," he explained more.

"This situation has caused the AKP to commit an illegal act known to everybody. In fact, there is no lawlessness, because the leader of this party, Erdoğan, is the law himself. For example, İmamoğlu's BA degree, which he received 35 years ago, was declared invalid, and the university president, who did not decide to revoke the degree, was forced to resign. Instead of the university president, the faculty decided to revoke the degree. This is a clear violation of rights and has greatly angered society."

Erdemol said that "the ruling AKP has even lost its overwhelming majority of voters. The JAKP led by Erdogan, arrests not only its rivals but also all its opponents and keeps them in prison for years. He charges some people based on previous charges, which is against the law, because the law cannot be applied retroactively. Imamoglu’s arrest was a serious political turning point in the country."

"A pivot has formed in Turkish politics that the AKP cannot maintain its power. Turkey’s ruling party has lost its legitimacy. If Imamoglu, despite all these problems, is nominated, or someone else is nominated, it has a good chance of winning. In that case, the country will enter a new phase of returning to a parliamentary system, which could be the greatest political consequence of the current developments," the journalist said.

In response to the question "Is it possible for the Istanbul Municipality to have a guardian appointed by the government?" Erdemol said that "The AKP government has been running all institutions it sees as opposition, especially municipalities, for years by appointing guardians. Therefore, it could appoint a guardian for the Istanbul Municipality as well."

"This appointment of a guardian is a bit difficult for the ruling party this time, and there are still strong reactions in the political and public community."

"If Erdogan appoints a guardian for the Istanbul municipality, his goal will be to implement the Canal Istanbul project, a project that will destroy Istanbul. The Turkish courts have blocked this project from being implemented. Now the government can re-implement this project through the municipality, which will be run by a guardian," the journalist said.

"It is clear that this decision is purely political. Because in all the elections held, Imamoglu won against the government's nominee. Since the government was unable to stop Imamoglu through the elections, they decided to attack him through the judiciary to prevent his political success," Erdemol concluded.