Ozil accuses Erdogan of "coup" against Imamoglu and affirms: "We will triumph over tyranny"

The leader of the Turkish opposition, Özgür Özel, accused the President of the Republican People's Party, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, of carrying out a "coup" against the former mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is considered one of his prominent political rivals.

This came during a speech by Özel, the Deputy Chair of the Socialist International Council, at a meeting held in Istanbul with representatives from 89 parties of 81 countries in attendance.

Özel described the arrest of İmamoğlu on March 19th as a "political targeting," stating: "Erdoğan, who came to power through elections, refuses to leave in the same manner, so he carried out a coup against his opponents."

He added: "Our goal is not just to confront tyranny, but to defeat it with the support of the people and to gain power," indicating that the protests that erupted in Turkey after İmamoğlu's arrest reflect the people's rejection of "politicizing the judiciary." He continued: "When people break the wall of fear, an opportunity arises to build the wall of democracy."

Criticism of appointing "trustees" to municipalities

Özel also criticized Erdoğan's policy of appointing trustees to municipalities instead of their elected mayors, describing this practice as a "blow to democracy." He pointed out that this step often comes under the pretext of accusing local officials of supporting terrorism without providing sufficient evidence.

International solidarity with the Turkish opposition

Meanwhile, the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, the President of the Socialist International Council, affirmed the organization's support for democracy worldwide, saying: "We will stand with all those facing oppression, whether in Venezuela or Turkey."

He added, during his speech at the meeting attended by the Turkish President, that Istanbul "offers lessons in peace and solidarity," and that "cooperation is the best way to combat injustice."

A message from the imprisoned İmamoğlu

In a session opened with solidarity banners for İmamoğlu, Selin Sayek Böke, the Secretary-General of the Republican People's Party, read a message from the imprisoned Mayor of Istanbul, stating: "Authoritarian regimes are not immune to defeat, and history bears witness to that."

He added: "I am a political prisoner, and the arbitrary arrests of mayors represent the peak of democratic regression in Turkey."

Kurds in Turkey: "Arresting elected officials is a deliberate policy"

On the other hand, Toulai Hatem Oglalari, the co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Democratic and Equality Party, cited the arrest of 13 mayors, including 10 from her party, emphasizing that this step "aims to silence opposition voices."

She pointed out that Turkey is going through a crucial stage to peacefully resolve the Kurdish issue, based on a call from the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, Abdullah Öcalan.

Calls to end international crises

Participants in the meeting also addressed the crises in Syria, Gaza, and Ukraine, calling for achieving stability in Syria, halting