FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Your death, my life. This phrase sums up what has happened in Turkey in recent days, as the temporary detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu will determine the political survival of the arrested politician and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The most critical day for Imamoglu's future is Sunday. In 48 hours, on Sunday, March 23, Ekrem Imamoglu's four-day temporary detention ends and Turkish judges will have to decide whether the Istanbul mayor will be released or whether his temporary detention will be converted into pre-trial detention.
The temporarily arrested mayor of Istanbul risks being sentenced to up to 38 years, or even more, according to Turkish media. Court decisions in Turkey have seized all of Ekrem Imamoglu's assets and all of the businesses he owned.
However, if Imamoglu is not released from custody and is released on bail, he will become a folk hero in the eyes of millions of Turkish citizens, but also around the world. In this scenario, of course, Tayyip Erdogan's reputation will take a major and perhaps decisive blow, with the slogan "people's hero against the dictator" dominating the streets, alleys and squares of Turkey.
Four paths for Ekrem Imamoglu
He could be released: In this case, he would return to his post as mayor of Istanbul.
But, even if he is released, there is a possibility that he will be dismissed: the Interior Ministry could decide to dismiss him and appoint an administrator for the Istanbul Municipality, using the ongoing investigations against the mayor as an argument.
He could be arrested on terrorism charges: If he is held in custody on charges of “providing aid to a terrorist organization,” the Interior Ministry could appoint a new mayor in Istanbul.
If he is arrested on charges of organized crime, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Council could elect a new mayor.
At night everyone is afraid to go out.
For the second night in a row, citizen protests continued on the streets of Turkey, despite a ban on gatherings.
Turkish police used chemicals, plastic bullets and tear gas against the crowd that had gathered in front of Istanbul's city hall.
According to AFP correspondents, the police wanted to prevent a group of young protesters who were trying to head towards Taksim Square, an emblematic protest site, which has been completely blocked with metal railings.
Ban on demonstrations also in Izmir
Today, Friday, it was announced that the measure to ban demonstrations is also being imposed in the city of Izmir, the strongest bastion of the Republican People's Party (CHP), the party created by the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal, and which Ekrem Imamoglu wanted to be the candidate for the post of president of Turkey, against Erdogan, whose second term ends in 2028.
New demonstrations today
Despite the ban, new demonstrations are being organized in cities across Turkey today in support of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, two days after his arrest. In total, since Wednesday, the day of his arrest, protests have taken place in 29 of Turkey's 81 provinces.
"Now no one should expect the Republican People's Party (CHP) to do politics in halls and buildings. From now on we are in the streets and squares," said the leader of Turkey's largest opposition party, Ozgur Ezel, yesterday in front of Istanbul's city hall where several thousand protesters had gathered.
Whatsapp, Instagram and Youtube apps reopened
Restrictions on access to social media and messaging platforms (X, WhatsApp), which had been in place since Wednesday morning, were lifted last night, according to a Turkish internet monitoring organization. A total of 54 internet users have been arrested since Wednesday for posting messages on social media that were deemed "provocative" by Turkish authorities, the Turkish Interior Ministry announced today. /Adapted Pamphlet/
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