80 percent inflation is putting the Turkish president under pressure. For the upcoming election, Istanbul's mayor is emerging as a promising competitor - until he is sentenced to prison. Erdogan rejects the allegation of influence.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denied allegations that his government influenced a verdict against a promising challenger. The judiciary is independent, said Erdogan in his first statement on the conviction of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu for a ban on politics and a prison sentence. The court will take the "necessary precautions" if "any mistakes" are made, Erdogan added.
The Turkish judiciary is largely under government control and the separation of powers has been virtually abolished since the introduction of the presidential system. Ekrem Imamoglu is a politician from the country's strongest opposition party, the CHP, and has so far been a promising candidate for next year's presidential election. The 52-year-old was banned from politics on Wednesday for insulting officials and sentenced to two years and seven months in prison.
Only when the verdict is final will Imamoglu have to give up his post as mayor. Before that, it has to go through two instances. It is unlikely that the decision will be revoked. The verdict had been criticized by the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, the USA and the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, among others. Imamoglu won the politically influential office of Istanbul mayor in 2019, inflicting a bitter defeat on Erdogan and his conservative Islamic party, the AKP.
With inflation at more than 80 percent, Erdogan is under considerable pressure. He has been in power for almost 20 years. The six opposition parties, including the centre-left CHP, have joined forces with the intention of replacing Erdogan. The alliance has not yet announced a presidential candidate. Erdogan has now asked the opposition parties to nominate their candidate.
