Statement by TKP Central Committee on the arrest warrant issued for İmamoğlu, İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor:

Upholding Our Dual Responsibility

https://www.tkp.org.tr/en/agenda/upholding-our-dual-responsibility/

The AKP government’s latest operation to undermine the right to universal suffrage has reached a new and alarming stage with the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

This arrest is entirely illegitimate.

Even if the arrest warrant has been issued on corruption charges, as with many political operations during the AKP era, the underlying motives remain evident. The true purpose of this operation is to shrink political space and pave the way for similar interventions in the future.

However, the clarity of this objective does not diminish the reality of Turkey’s deepening governance crisis. The tensions, power struggles, and behind-the-scenes bargains among key institutions and actors within the current system have been laid bare throughout this trial process and reflected in the pro-government media.

Turkey is grappling with profound turmoil, involving its government, opposition, and institutions, as it faces the ripple effects of international instability.

The Communist Party of Turkey recognizes the potential for these developments to trigger significant economic, political, and social consequences that could shake the foundations of the capitalist system. Therefore, we stress the urgent need to organize an independent and revolutionary path to prevent working people from becoming trapped in the power struggles between competing factions.

On the one hand, we will take a decisive stance to increase the resistance against the usurpation of the right to vote and the fait accompli against the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Simultaneously, we will strive to awaken a broader segment of society from the spell of factional conflicts, covert bargains, and hidden agendas.

What is promising is the growing number of people who are beginning to embrace this dual mission.

As the embodiment of this commitment, the Communist Party of Turkey will continue to uphold its steadfast, responsible, and revolutionary stance.