In an exclusive CNN International interview aired on Friday, İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu discussed the political persecution he has faced in Turkey and called Palestinian militant group Hamas a “terrorist organization,” putting himself in sharp contrast to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has repeatedly praised the group as liberators fighting for their land.
President Erdoğan met with Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh last week, which Israel has condemned.
İmamoğlu, who was recently re-elected and is seen as a potential challenger to Erdoğan in the 2028 presidential election, spoke about the “brutal oppression” of Palestinians while condemning the violent actions of Hamas.
Ekrem Imamoglu (@imamoglu_int) was reelected Mayor of Istanbul 3 weeks ago, cementing his position as one of Turkey’s main opposition leaders. @scottmclean caught up with him for a wide-ranging conversation on @RTErdogan, democracy, his upcoming trial, and the Israel-Gaza war. pic.twitter.com/oJTA4OQm9l
— Connect the World (@CNNConnect) April 26, 2024
Israel launched a military campaign on the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an unprecedented Hamas incursion on October 7 that resulted in an estimated 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages being taken to Gaza.
According to the latest data received from Gaza’s health ministry, Israeli strikes across Gaza have resulted in the death of at least 34,388 people and injured 74,437 more.
“Hamas, of course, carried out an attack in Israel that we are deeply saddened by, and any organized structure that carries out terrorist attacks and kills people en masse is considered a terrorist organization by us,” İmamoğlu told CNN through a translator.
He also criticized the Israeli response, which he said reflected the oppression of innocent Palestinians. He urged that both issues be assessed together and called for an immediate end to what he termed the brutal oppression of Palestinians.
On the domestic front, İmamoğlu spoke about his political persecution, addressing his two-year prison sentence for allegedly insulting public officials — a verdict he has appealed and denounces as politically motivated. He also highlighted the ongoing legal challenges he faces, including a tender rigging case dating back almost a decade, which he also attributes to political persecution by the Erdoğan government.
İmamoğlu criticized the current government for its authoritarian tendencies and abuse of the judiciary, suggesting that these actions are orchestrated by President Erdoğan himself. He pointed to the pattern of arrests following critical comments about the government and emphasized the damaging effects on Turkish democracy.
İmamoğlu said he is a firm believer in democracy and warned of the dangers of authoritarianism, which he said could lead to war and social division. He spoke out in favor of global democratization and emphasized its potential to improve conditions in the Middle East and beyond.
The mayor refrained from confirming his candidacy for the presidency but acknowledged legal hurdles that could prevent Erdoğan from running again. İmamoğlu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) won a clear majority of Turkey’s provinces and the popular vote in the March local elections, signaling a possible shift in Turkish politics as public dissatisfaction with the economic situation and governance grows.
Erdoğan recently referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the “butcher of Gaza” and attributed the deaths of over 15,000 children to Israeli operations in the region.
The Turkish government officially imposed trade restrictions on Israel on April 9, a move seen as a response to both public outcry and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The measures taken after six months of destruction in Gaza were seen by many as overdue, given the significant loss of life and general public outrage in Turkey at Israel’s actions.
Erdoğan, who has long marketed himself in the Muslim world as a champion of Palestinian rights and a fierce critic of Israel, has repeatedly accused Israel of being a “terrorist state” and of committing “genocide” due to Israel’s ongoing attacks on the Palestinian enclave in Gaza.
Despite Erdoğan’s stance, trade between the two nations is significant, which is partly conducted by individuals close to president despite his anti-Israel rhetoric. This was first exposed by investigative journalist Metin Cihan in late November. Since then, Cihan has been reporting on trade between the two countries, relying on official statistics and websites on maritime traffic, all of which are publicly available.