What Ekrem Imamoğlu’s unjust imprisonment reveals about Erdoğan’s plans for Turkey

By Ecesu Basara, Section Editor

“Şeytan tüyü,” a Turkish proverb that translates literally to “feather of the devil,” is used to refer to persons who are thought to have an easy time winning the acceptance and love of others.

If you are familiar with the name Ekrem Imamoğlu, you are aware of his undeniable possession of this special “feather.” Businessman and skilled communicator, he made his fortune in construction before entering politics. Member of the Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP), a secular and leftist party founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,

Ekrem Imamoğlu knows how to seduce beyond his political affiliation; he appeals to the Kemalist and nationalist electorate but also the Kurds, which is surprising given the current dynamics of Turkish politics, which tend to isolate and divide different ethnic and religious groups.

Despite his active participation in the construction sector, which he inherited from his family, Imamoğlu first appeared to be relatively obscure to the general public. However, his reputation and career took off in 2019. In one of its most humiliating defeats, he beat Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi (AKP), the conservative party in power since 2002, to win the Istanbul municipal elections with the help of CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Growing censorship and the outlawing of oppositional parties have been hallmarks of the AKP’s administration. In light of this, the election of Imamoğlu presented itself as a beacon of hope for many Turks who do not identify with the ideology of Erdoğan, and for the first time in almost 20 years, it made them feel like their voices had been heard.

These two political figures may seem irreconcilable to one another, but they share many uncanny traits that show Imamoğlu’s potential as a future Turkish leader and justify Erdoğan’s desire to hinder Imamoğ- tween the two figures further demonstrate Imamoğlu’s capability to be a leader as powerful as Erdoğan in the coming years and the voice of the long-silenced. lu’s candidacy in the upcoming 2023 presidential elections. First, it is noteworthy to mention that Imamoğlu and Erdoğan both originate from the Black Sea region of Turkey, an area that has historically played a crucial role in Turkish politics. Also, both Erdoğan and Imamoğlu have served as mayor of Istanbul — Erdoğan from 1994 to 1998, and Imamoglu since 2019. In addition, both Imamoğlu and Erdoğan cherish religion and publicly express their devotion, despite the fact that Imamoğlu’s discourse on religion is substantially more inclusive of Islamic minorities and non-Muslim groups in Turkey while Erdoğan opts for an idealized global Sunni vision of Islam. The similarities be-

Undoubtedly, Erdoğan is aware of this reality, and in an effort to maintain his position as ruler for a few more years, takes care to minimize Imamoğlu’s exposure to the Turkish people.

Even after winning Istanbul’s mayoral elections in March, Imamoğlu’s victory was short-lived — the vote was quickly annulled on the grounds that it was fraudulent and pushed to a date three months later. When he won for the second time, he used the term “fools” to describe election officials who had canceled the vote on unjust grounds. AKP officials viewed this as an insult to the Turkish administration and a defamation court case against Imamoğlu was opened immediately in June 2019. The court announced its