İmamoğlu case: Bishop Bizzeti on growing authoritarianism East and West
Hundreds of people took to the streets in protest over the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor. So far Turkish President Erdoğan has remained silent, while the police respond to the protest with new arrests. Tensions and social unrest are likely to increase, while Imamoğlu's fate in the upcoming presidential race remains uncertain.
Milan (AsiaNews) – Bishop Paolo Bizzeti, Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia for almost 10 years, does not hide his fears for the news coming from Turkey.
“It is hard to predict what will happen to İmamoğlu in the immediate future, whether he will remain in prison or be released, because one cannot make predictions in places where, in Turkey as in many other countries, including Italy, politicians want to ‘guide’ justice.”
Events like the mayor’s arrest end up fuelling social unrest and increase tensions. “What is happening in Turkey is part of a wider worldwide trend, and cannot be isolated from the global context.”
Last Tuesday night, the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, a leading opposition figure and probable challenger of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the presidency, was arrested on charges of corruption and collusion with terrorist groups.
Protests broke out in the streets and on social media, followed by hundreds of arrests and the risk of further dividing Turkish society at a time when the current rulers are becoming increasingly authoritarian.
The matter has pitted the ruling party against the opposition in a strident political debate, with the government condemning the call to people to take to the streets against the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, which critics see as an "anti-democratic detention".
While the government claims that the courts are independent, it is threatening more crackdown as hundreds of people are arrested for protesting and police checkpoints block roads in the main cities.
In Istanbul, security forces have cordoned off Taksim Square and Gezi Park, scene of past violent and deadly repression. People and law enforcement agents have reportedly clashed in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.
Amid all this, President Erdoğan has remained silent. At a recent Iftar with a group of farmers, he was careful not to make any references to the İmamoğlu affair.
For many experts in Turkish affairs, the mayor of Istanbul is Erdoğan's main rival in any future electoral match.
In theory, the incumbent president cannot run for re-election in 2028 since he has already served two mandates (three if considering that he was elected a first time under Turkey’s previous constitution). This might be why he is using force to stay in power, ready to call fresh elections or changing the constitution.
İmamoğlu represents an alternative because he is “strong, well prepared, a man who has proven to be a capable administrator,” said a diplomatic source speaking to AsiaNews, anonymous for security reasons. “This is perhaps why he is causing great fear in the other camp.”
Before his arrest, attempts were made to exclude him from the election, the latest being the “fake degree” affair. To run for president, candidates must be university graduates. In fact, as soon as someone comes close to being politically competitive, he is marginalised, including many mayors, removed on specious accusations, despite being voted in by the people.
The central question for the anonymous source is whether we have a “real democratic process or not.” For Bishop Bizzeti, this is part of a broader trend in a world torn by economic, political and social crises.
"There are reasons for concern in the West. It seems that the age of bullies is back, and what saddens the most is people willing to use every means to eliminate rivals are prevailing. Think of how many UN resolutions Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ignored, even in recent months. We are witness to an authoritarian interpretation of power.”
In addition, unjustified aggression stirs anger and discontent, and can be used domestically against the rise of a rival and, externally, to attack another sovereign country as in the case of Russia in Ukraine.
Analysing the recent arrest and its implications, two elements are of particular gravity: the resignation in a large part of the population, which no longer takes to the streets to protest, and the proliferation of unscrupulous characters who rule ignoring laws and rights.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people took to the streets in some Turkish cities over İmamoğlu’s arrest, but people are afraid because it is dangerous. Those who protest are photographed, blacklisted and risk ending up in jail, yet they show courage and it cannot be ruled out that the protest may spread.
Regarding the future of the country and the upcoming presidential election, “it is very complicated to make predictions," the source told AsiaNews. More and more Turks are dissatisfied with the situation, which was made clear in “the last elections when the ruling Justice and Development Party( AKP) lost important cities and a great number of voters. Support for Erdoğan is slipping and recent elections are proof of that.”
.png)
29/01/2024 13:09
26/06/2019 16:28
