Democracy in Chains – Erdoğan Has the Most Popular Mayor Arrested!
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Political Repression in Turkey: Erdoğan Has Istanbul’s Mayor İmamoğlu Arrested
The political situation in Turkey is escalating dramatically:
On March 19, 2025, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul and one of the most promising opposition candidates for the 2028 presidential election, was arrested on questionable charges.
He is accused of corruption, supporting a terrorist organization, and being a member of a criminal group — allegations that İmamoğlu and his supporters strongly deny.
Macit Karaahmetoğlu on WELT:
The arrest came just days before he was to be officially nominated by the main opposition party, CHP.
Observers see the move as a deliberate political blow aimed at eliminating a threatening rival.
Polls have shown that İmamoğlu has surpassed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in popularity — a fact that seemingly led Erdoğan to use the judiciary to neutralize his challenger.
Erdoğan, who has repeatedly acted in authoritarian ways toward critics in the past, is once again proving that he fears real democratic competition.
This latest move bears strong resemblance to the tactics of authoritarian leaders such as:
– Vladimir Putin in Russia,
– and Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus,
who secure their power through sham trials and the imprisonment of political opponents.
The situation in Turkey is becoming increasingly clear:
Anyone who poses a threat to Erdoğan ends up behind bars.
Despite a nationwide ban on demonstrations, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities across Turkey to protest the arrest.
Police responded with violence — using tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets.
But the protests continue. Many citizens now see İmamoğlu as a symbol of hope for democratic change.
The international response has been swift and critical.
The Council of Europe called the arrest an attack on the democratic will of the Turkish people.
Human rights organizations are demanding the immediate release of İmamoğlu and a return to the rule of law in Turkey.
With this move, Erdoğan has once again proven:
He is not a democrat — he is determined to cling to power at any cost, even if it means destroying the last remnants of democratic culture in the country.
