Jailed Istanbul Mayor and CHP presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu said his arrest was designed to undermine the government’s “Terror-Free Turkey” initiative, which foresees the PKK’s disarmament.
Speaking through his lawyers from Silivri Prison, where he has been held for five months, İmamoğlu told Halk TV that the government is using “ransom-style threats” against opposition mayors, forcing them to either join the ruling party or face prosecution. He said Aydın Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu’s defection to the AKP revealed that investigations and arrests were directed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
“The Istanbul case and my detention were set up to sabotage the peace process,” İmamoğlu said, stressing that jailing the opposition’s presidential candidate while pursuing disarmament talks creates a political contradiction.
He said that Turkey’s two pressing issues are the pressure on the CHP and the “Terror-Free Turkey” process, and the government cannot solve either if it continues to use the judiciary as a tool against opponents.
SECOND INTERVIEW BEHIND BARS
İmamoğlu gave another interview to jailed journalist Fatih Altaylı, in which he said that he never regarded Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş’s possible presidential candidacy as a personal matter.
He expressed his appreciation for Yavaş's decision not to give a speech while İmamoğlu is in prison. Asked, “Do you think other mayors are being detained because of you?” İmamoğlu said he did not view the situation as personal.
İmamoğlu said that he and other mayors were being made to pay the price for their march to power.
He reiterated his request for his trial to be broadcast live on TRT and regarding the return to a parliamentary system, he said that the current bizarre system must be abolished as soon as possible.
İmamoğlu said he did not think the DEM Party would join the People's Alliance.
