Is Erdogan 'too valuable for the West' to be criticised for arresting rival?

Istanbul has been on the boil ever since the city’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested last week over corruption charges. Imamoglu is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival and therefore his arrest has raised eyebrows. Hundreds of protestors have been arrested in the movement that has been going on for six days straight.

Police have arrested more than 1,130 people over the past six days, including 43 on Monday night, the interior minister said. Among them are journalists, including an AFP photographer.

Imamoglu, 53, of the opposition CHP party, is widely seen as the only politician capable of defeating Turkey’s longtime leader Erdogan at the ballot box.

While the widespread demonstrations have garnered international attention, not many leaders from the West have condemned the mayor’s arrest which is being touted as being “politically motivated”.

‘Evil’

Erdogan has blamed the Opposition for fueling the protests and called the demonstrations “evil” for “disturbing the peace of our citizens with provocations”.

The president has called for the protests to end adding that “instead of responding to allegations”, opposition parties had “made the most vile and unlawful statements in our political history for [the last] five days”.

A balancing act

Erdogan has maintained a complex stance in defence against Russia, balancing NATO commitments with diplomatic ties to Moscow. While Turkey has provided Ukraine with Bayraktar drones and naval assistance, it has refrained from imposing Western sanctions on Russia, instead fostering economic and energy cooperation. This approach allows Ankara to position itself as a mediator and facilitate key negotiations.

In Syria, Erdogan has sought to stabilise the region by targeting Kurdish groups he considers a security threat while also negotiating ceasefires with Russia and Iran under the Astana process.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, the Turkish president has positioned himself as a vocal supporter of Palestine, condemning Israeli actions and pushing for a ceasefire while facilitating humanitarian aid efforts.

Only Scholz calls out Erdogan

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is the only European leader who has slammed the recent protests in Istanbul.

Last week, Scholz said the detention of Imamoglu was"a very, very bad sign” for Turkey’s democracy and its relations with the European Union. Speaking at an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels, Scholz urged the Turkish leadership to put “an immediate end to this.

“It is depressing for democracy in Turkey, but it is certainly also depressing for relations between Europe and Turkey,” he said.

With inputs from agencies