HEADS-UP: CHP leader Ozel mindful of Imamoglu being banned from politics

TURKEY - In Brief 24 Sep 2024 by Atilla Yesilada

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CHP leader Ozgur Ozel devoted a portion of his press conference on his way to US to the pending appeals court case regarding Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. He must be really concerned about the intermediate appeals court issuing its ruling “soon”, because he added that if that were the case, he would cut its US trip short (Where he is attending the annual meeting of socialist parties) and return home. Actually, today I meant to write my London visit impressions, where I met 27 different institutions. I asked GSP New York to organize this trip because I wanted to warn our audience that Turkey may be drifting towards elections by the end of 2025. A sub-plot in my base-case scenario was Erdogan urging the judiciary to ban Imamoglu from holding elected office to sideline his most formidable opponent. I added that an expeditious outcome to the appeals process, which should ordinarily take about two years, might be a sign that Erdogan is mobilizing for early elections. Upon my return to Turkey, the opposition press was full of stories about Imamoglu’s fate. Two journalists I consider reliable namely Messrs. Ismail Saymaz and Altan Sancar have argued that the intermediate appeals court have already decided to let the lower court ban stand (with a 2-1 majority). They are not the only ones who claim Ekrem Imamoglu’s fate is already decided. To refresh memories, if Imamoglu loses his appeal to the intermediate appeals court, he can petition the High Court of Cessation to reverse the ruling. Yet- if as I argue- this case is completely political, the highest appeals court will expedite its deliberations. In fact, the journalists I mention above, as well as others, argue that judge...