Turkey’s Descent into Autocracy: The Imprisonment of Ekrem İmamoğlu

Turkey’s President Erdoğan has imprisoned Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, signaling a critical move toward autocratic rule. This action eliminates a key political rival and undermines the integrity of upcoming elections. Erdoğan’s vision of a unified Islamic society aims to suppress dissent, reflecting a broader trend in global politics dominated by authoritarianism.

Recently, Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, oversaw the imprisonment of Istanbul’s Mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, a significant political rival. This action signals a crucial moment in Turkey’s shift towards autocracy, as it illustrates Erdoğan’s intolerance for opposition. Since formally transitioning to a one-man regime in 2017, Turkey has maintained elections, albeit under a legal framework that has begun to lose its legitimacy as a genuine democratic process.

With the elimination of İmamoğlu, who is viewed as Erdoğan’s primary challenger in the 2028 presidential elections, Turkey now faces a reality where elections may serve merely as a facade. Erdoğan’s pursuit of a uniform society based on political Islam leads to the suppression of dissent, rendering any opposing voices insignificant. Over the last two decades, Erdoğan has accomplished this through strategic purges of former military and civilian officials, using fabricated evidence in trials to consolidate his power.

Initially, Erdoğan portrayed himself as an adversary of military influence in Turkey, gaining support from both liberal factions and Western governments. His policies, which were ostensibly aimed at aligning Turkey with European democratic values, masked a more profound agenda that has culminated in the erosion of judicial independence. His alliance with the Fethullah Gülen movement laid the groundwork for subsequent repression, ultimately culminating in a significant power consolidation following the 2013 corruption scandal.

The turning point in Erdoğan’s governance style appeared during the 2013 Gezi Park protests, which marked a departure from his earlier conciliatory approach. His return to a more divisive stance exacerbated societal rifts and increased his authoritarian tendencies. By neglecting constitutional mandates after being elected president in 2014, Erdoğan asserted his dominance, thus further hollowing out electoral democracy.

The failed coup attempt in 2016 provided Erdoğan with an opportunity to overhaul Turkey’s public administration entirely. The ensuing state of emergency triggered mass arrests and dismissals of individuals across various sectors. The legal Kurdish political movement also faced substantial repression, with many of its leaders, including Selahattin Demirtaş, enduring imprisonment.

Erdoğan’s alliance with the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) solidified even further during this time, leading to increased instability. Turkey’s foreign policy has shifted away from the West, illustrated by its procurement of weapons and defenses from Russia, thus straining NATO relationships.

Since the 2017 referendum, which consolidated Erdoğan’s presidential powers, key political rivals like İmamoğlu and Ankara’s Mayor, Mansur Yavaş, have emerged but faced considerable adversity. İmamoğlu’s strengths positioned him as a significant challenger, yet his recent removal reveals Erdoğan’s unwillingness to tolerate viable competition. This action could foreshadow a more extensive crackdown on secular journalists and wider societal elements that have so far evaded repression.

Erdoğan’s ambitions appear increasingly boundless in the current global climate marked by rising authoritarianism. The limited pushback against such tendencies poses a daunting challenge for Turkey’s future, indicating an impending crisis for democratic norms and governance in the nation.

The recent imprisonment of Ekrem İmamoğlu by President Erdoğan represents a definitive step toward autocratic rule in Turkey. By eliminating his strongest political opponent, Erdoğan seeks to solidify his power and diminish democratic processes. With the global rise of authoritarianism and a lack of effective opposition, Turkey may be entering a perilous phase where democratic competition is significantly undermined, leading to severe repercussions for civic freedoms and governance.

Original Source: jacobin.com