Istanbul: district mayor arrested
Rıza Akpolat, mayor of the Beşiktaş district in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul and member of the main opposition party CHP, has been arrested on charges that include bribery. President Erdoğan's government has repeatedly taken tough action against opposition politicians. Turkish media see this as another case of a politically motivated move.
Corruption? Government needs to clean up its own act
If the government really wanted to fight corruption it would start with its own mayors, Karar complains:
“There are 1,393 municipalities in Turkey, large and small. Can you make a list of 1,393 municipalities where there is no corruption? You would have to search hard. ... So when the government targets and prosecutes one of these municipalities, our society doesn't get the feeling that the government is fighting corruption but that the government is fighting the CHP using the weapons of the state. You can't call it a fight against corruption when someone protects their own corrupt people and prosecutes others.”
Erdoğan driven by fear of political demise
Erdoğan is aiming to eliminate his political opponents in order to win the next election, T24 surmises:
“Clearly the president has internalised the fact that he cannot win the next election under normal circumstances, and therefore he wants to eliminate the candidates with the help of the judiciary, or, if he cannot eliminate them, to slander them and gain a political advantage that way. ... Whatever is currently being done in the name of politics in Turkey, it has only one goal: to ensure that Erdoğan is elected again and can stay in office! Any means is permissible to achieve this.”
Constitutional obligation to resist
The constitution obliges the people to defend democracy and the rule of law, Cumhuriyet points out:
“The defence of the 'democratic, secular and social rule of law' 'by the people' is a constitutional requirement. It is the duty of every Turkish citizen and in particular every media company, every organisation of democratic society, above all the professional chambers and trade unions, and of course first and foremost of every political party, to stand up for this constitution. ... The President of the Republic and all members of parliament have sworn an oath to protect this constitution. And it is a requirement of the Constitution that they can be expected to honour this oath and put up resistance in the spirit of this intention!”