Turkish diplomat: Erdogan's actions against Istanbul mayor

Pars Today - A Turkish analyst has warned about the strategic mistakes made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in imprisoning the mayor of Istanbul.

Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and a member of Turkey's Republican People's Party (CHP), was arrested on March 19 on corruption charges. According to Pars Today, citing Tasnim News Agency, former Turkish diplomat Mehmet Ogutcu believes that Erdogan’s team has committed numerous strategic errors in dealing with the Istanbul mayor. These mistakes could, in the medium term, lead the Justice and Development Party (AKP) toward failure and collapse.

Ogutcu, a former political figure in Turkey, wrote in his analysis: "We are at a critical turning point in Turkey's political scene. Current trends, political pressures, and the imprisonment of Ekrem Imamoglu are not merely about jailing Erdogan's most important rival. This event has turned into a major political transformation that will fundamentally destabilize the political balance and dynamics of Turkey in the coming period."

He added: "A major deadlock may emerge where there are no winners, and the entire country suffers. We are witnessing a crisis that is growing like a snowball. If mishandled or poorly managed, Imamoglu’s future political position will be strengthened, and the entire opposition will turn into a stronger force against the current government."

This political expert emphasized: "The biggest mistake the Erdogan government made was advancing actions such as revoking Imamoglu’s academic credentials and accusing him of financial corruption and ties to terrorism in a way that made it clear to everyone that the real goal was to sideline a powerful rival!"

According to him, Imamoglu is becoming a symbol not only for his party but also for all opposing political currents. He is uniting various groups around himself, bringing together different factions.

Ogutcu continued: "After the last two municipal elections in Turkey, Erdogan’s party lost Istanbul again. This comes despite Erdogan repeatedly saying, 'Whoever loses Istanbul loses Turkey.'"

In the view of this Turkish expert, with increasing political and economic fragility and declining popularity among the public, Erdogan's leadership and governance are being questioned. Even individuals within the ruling party are gradually reaching the assessment that Erdogan’s decisions have weakened the government, deepened internal fractures within the party, and may spark a succession struggle for leadership after Erdogan much earlier than expected.

Ogutcu described the new tensions in Turkey as exacerbating economic risks and stated that, on the global stage, the European Union and the United States are evaluating Turkey's developments as a regression in democracy.

The former Turkish diplomat asserted: "With these developments, it seems we are effectively shooting ourselves in the foot. It is impossible for a country that is not strong domestically to be powerful abroad and maintain its international credibility."

MG