Political reactions continue in Turkey in the wake of the shock following the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, this morning as part of an investigation into crimes of corruption and relations with members of terrorist organisations. The leader of the Turkish nationalist party MHP, Devlet Bahçeli, has emphasised his confidence in the Turkish judicial system and has pointed out that ‘nobody is untouchable’ before the law, calling for respect for the procedure and the investigation in response to the accusations of the CHP party – to which İmamoğlu belongs – against the public prosecutor’s office, accusing it of organising a ‘coup’.
In a statement echoed by the main media outlets in Turkey, Bahçeli stressed that the judicial system must be respected and called for ‘patience and common sense’ from those who support İmamoğlu. ‘It must be our common responsibility to respect any verdict. To defame a judicial measure as a coup d’état in order to incite people to take to the streets (to protest) is a sign of political corruption devoid of sanity and morality,’ he said in response to previous statements made by the leader of the CHP, Özgür Özel, describing the mayor’s arrest as a “coup against the will of the people”.
‘I have full confidence in the Turkish judiciary. The principle of innocence until proven guilty in court is fundamental,’ emphasised Bahçeli, who called for avoiding any kind of provocation at a key moment for Turkey, which has begun a process to rid itself of terrorism following the historic announcement made by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. ‘Opposing the law or questioning the legality of verdicts and judicial procedures is an invitation to disorder and violence. No one is untouchable, and everyone must be held accountable for their wrongdoings,’ concluded the MHP leader.
‘Everyone is equal before the law’
Turkish Minister of Justice, Yılmaz Tunç, has expressed himself in quite similar terms, severely criticising the main opposition party for asking its supporters to take to the streets following the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul early this morning, and pointing out that Turkey is a state governed by the rule of law with an independent judicial system that ‘takes orders from no-one’.
‘Everyone must understand that in a state governed by the rule of law, if there is an accusation of a crime, the place to defend oneself is in the courts, not in the streets,’ Tunç said. ’Our constitution is clear, and it says that the judiciary is run by neutral and independent courts, and is based on the supremacy of the law. Everyone is equal before the law, and no one has the right to privileges over the law,’ the minister emphasised.
‘It is dangerous and wrong to try to shift the focus away from the nature of the investigations by labelling them as a ‘coup’. The investigations are being carried out with great sensitivity and diligence,’ said Tunç, who emphasised that there are reports, expert opinions, witnesses testimonies and other evidence that support the investigation and justify the arrests from a legal point of view.
Precisely to avoid possible altercations or disturbances following the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, the governor of the province has decreed a ban on demonstrations and public protests of any kind for the remainder of the week, between Wednesday 19th and Sunday 23rd March, and several public transport services have been suspended; also, streets and avenues close to emblematic places such as Taksim Square have been closed. Even so, a small group of people gathered in front of the Istanbul police headquarters, and there was also a gathering of CHP supporters in front of the town hall of the Şişli district, whose mayor is also among those arrested.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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