FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Imamoglu, the man who reminded Erdogan that power is not his forever
More than two thousand years in prison. That's what the Istanbul Prosecutor's Office has requested for Ekrem Imamoglu, the former mayor of Turkey's largest city and the main political opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
A sentence that seems taken from the pages of a Franz Kafka novel, and that shows the extent of judicial repression in a country where justice is increasingly openly used as a political weapon.
According to the indictment, Imamoglu faces 142 charges, has 402 suspected accomplices, and the file contains a total of 3,900 pages. He was arrested in March this year, a few days before he was officially announced as the presidential candidate on behalf of the Republican People's Party (CHP), the main opposition force in the country.
From Istanbul mayor to "enemy of the state"
Ekrem Imamoglu, 54, is accused of running a "criminal organization," taking bribes, laundering money and rigging public tenders. Another investigation links him to "espionage activity," alleging he solicited foreign funds during the election campaign.
Prosecutor Akin Gürlek describes his organization as an “octopus that has enveloped Istanbul,” the same metaphor that Erdogan himself once used to describe the city when he ruled it.
Erdogan's political rise began in Istanbul in 1994. Today, the same city has become a symbol of resistance to him.
The president's current term ends in 2028, and under the constitution, he cannot run again without legal changes or early elections, a scenario that many analysts link to efforts to neutralize Imamoglu.
Victories that shook the government
As mayor of Istanbul, Imamoglu has won three consecutive elections, each time against candidates backed by the presidential palace. He represents a double threat to Erdogan: on the one hand, he is a moderate and urban figure who can also speak to the conservative electorate; on the other, he constitutes the greatest threat to his grip on power in Istanbul, Turkey's political and economic heartland.
Since 2019, under his leadership, the city has become a showcase for an alternative to the AKP's governance model: efficient administration, a measured tone, and a more open and pluralistic vision of the state. For this very reason, many see Imamoglu as the last hope for real democratic change in Turkey.
CHP leader Özgür Özel has called the case a “civilian coup.” In a speech to parliament, he declared that Imamoglu would remain the party’s official candidate for the upcoming presidential election, despite attempts to stop him through legal proceedings.
On the other hand, the government denies any political motive and justifies the process as part of the “fight against corruption.” However, the chronology of the investigations shows the opposite: every time Imamoglu approaches an election race, a new file is opened against him.
Justice as an extension of power
This is not the first time that the Turkish judicial system has been seen as a tool of political power. After the 2024 local elections, in which the CHP retained control of major cities such as Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara, dozens of opposition mayors and local officials were arrested or suspended from office. Now, the demand for 2,352 years in prison for Imamoglu is seen as a clear political message: “Never again.”
From prison, Imamoglu sent a short message that was widely shared on social media: "Stand up. I will not bow down."
A phrase that is becoming a slogan for thousands of Turkish citizens who still believe that democracy in their country can be revived even in the face of a punishment that lasts longer than history itself. /Adapted from "Pamphlet" by "Il Foglio"
Ekonomi e madhe, buxhet i madh, parlament i madh (600), tokë e madhe (do të jetë më e madhe), bukë e madhe, qytete të mëdha, krime të mëdha, ndëshkime të mëdha dhe zbritje të mëdha penalitetesh. Shifra të mëdha në para! Çdo gjë është thjesht shumë e madhe! Sulltani duhet ta bëjë këtë për 4000 vjet! Burgosja e çdo opozite është mënyra se si ai e përdor "politikën demokratike"! Por stili i tij është demokracia! Era ka ndryshuar drejtim dhe kundërshtarët e tij do të mendojnë "të mëdhenj" për të këtë herë :-) Ata thonë: "Nëse mbjell erë, korr stuhi"
Mire e ke por stuhia sjell shume peshq ne tigan per alabaket.
NUk e di pse keni ambasada me keta qelbesirat Otomane, pse? Sa naive paskemi qene kur na dukeshin si goja grash fshati 3 mundesite e perfundimit te Shqiperise pas Dhjerokracise. 1) Shqiperia te bashkohej me ish mutin Ottomanet. 2) Shqiperia te copetohej nga qelbesirat fqinje e te zhdukej. 3) Te behej Shqiperia e Madhe (nje mut). Dikur i kane pas thene: " O katnar kry parure, me te rrjep 7 lekurei qytetar nuk behesh kurre. Ne se me gjeni nje Shqiptar qe eshte me shume se 3 breza qytetar me varni ne mes te Tirones. Cfare mund te presesh nga injoranca e padituria qe edhe kur i shet vellait te vet 1kg fiq i ha ne kandar.