The recent arrest of a district mayor from the main opposition party in İstanbul on terrorism-related charges has sparked widespread condemnation, with opposition politicians and dissidents labelling it as an assault on democracy and the will of the people.
Ahmet Özer, the mayor of İstanbul’s Esenyurt district from Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), was arrested by an İstanbul court on Wednesday in a move that led to protests and widespread condemnation.
Özer, a university professor who was elected during municipal elections in March that saw opposition candidates win numerous cities and towns, including İstanbul, was detained at his home in an early morning raid on Wednesday on suspicion of membership in the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). He was subsequently arrested, and İstanbul Deputy Governor Can Aksoy was appointed as a trustee to replace him on Thursday.
CHP deputies did not attend Thursday’s discussions in parliament’s Planning and Budget Committee. Instead, they travelled to İstanbul to protest Özer’s arrest following a call by CHP leader Özgür Özel.
The CHP leader stated on X on Wednesday that Özer was arrested on vague allegations and statements from a book he wrote years ago, claiming that the real target is the will of the people of Esenyurt.
“Undoubtedly, we will respond to these actions with the strongest possible reaction and will disrupt this vile plan that disregards the nation and disrespects the people’s choice. We will defeat this despicable mindset,” Özel said.
He announced that he would meet in İstanbul with CHP MPs November 1-3 to assess recent developments and hold a party council meeting on Sunday, also in İstanbul. Özel also invited all residents of Esenyurt and İstanbul to join them in front of the Esenyurt municipal building at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.
İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who joined several hundred demonstrators in front of the city’s main courthouse late on Wednesday, described Özer’s arrest as an “attempt to undermine law and democracy.”
CHP Vice Chairperson Pınar Uzun Okakın condemned Özer’s arrest as both unlawful and an “attack on his reputation” in a written statement, describing the charges as baseless, according to a report by the ANKA news agency.
Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, a lawyer by profession and a member of the CHP, said in a tweet on Thursday that Özer’s arrest is “against procedure and the law,” noting that there is no possibility of evidence tampering and that Özer has a permanent residence, which suggests he could be tried without detention.
“Özer’s arrest based on vague and abstract allegations is concerning for democracy and the rule of law,” Yavaş added.
1. Öncelikle seçilmiş bir belediye başkanının davetle çağrı mümkün iken sabahın 5.30’unda evinin basılarak gözaltına alınması hukuka uygun değildir. Sadece itibarsızlaştırmak istendiğinin bir göstergesidir.
2. Akşam internette yayınlanan Cumhuriyet savcılığının tutuklama talep…— Mansur Yavaş (@mansuryavas06) October 31, 2024
Today, we are once again facing the same game [of appointing trustees] that has been played from Hakkari to Esenyurt since 2016,” said Ayşegül Doğan, spokesperson for the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), during a press conference held at the party’s headquarters on Thursday.
She was referring to the removal of numerous pro-Kurdish party mayors from office and their replacement by trustees in recent years. According to a report from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the predecessor of the DEM Party, the Turkish government has removed 48 HDP co-mayors from office and appointed trustees in their place since 2019.
In the most recent case of trustee appointments, the DEM Party’s Hakkari co-mayor, Mehmet Sıddık Akış, was removed from office due to an ongoing investigation and a separate trial on terrorism-related charges. He was subsequently replaced by Hakkari Governor Ali Çelik.
ANKA also quoted Labor Party Chairman Seyit Aslan, who said if a sufficient response is not given to Özer’s arrest, the same mentality could lead to the removal of even the mayor of İstanbul, Turkey’s business hub, from office tomorrow.
“If we, as the people — workers, women and youth — cannot respond to this, the path for removals will undoubtedly be opened in [Turkey’s] west as well,” Aslan said.
Hüseyin Küçükbalaban, co-chair of Turkey’s Human Rights Association (İHD), talked about the “absurdity” of the allegations that Özer has been involved in criminal activities for 10 years.
“According to the media, the state has turned a blind eye to Ahmet Özer’s alleged criminal activity for 10 years while waiting for him to become mayor. There were no issues with his election as mayor, but now he has been arrested on accusations of wrongdoing,” Küçükbalaban said on X.