Turkey Seeks Jail Time for Opposition Mayors: Democracy in Action?
Turkish prosecutors are seeking lengthy prison terms for seven opposition mayors from the main opposition CHP, according to The New Arab. The charges? Allegations of 'terrorism propaganda' and 'membership in a terrorist organization.' (A well-worn classic, usually applied to anyone inconvenient). This isn't groundbreaking news for anyone watching President Erdoğan's long-running performance since
the 2016 coup attempt. Since then, thousands have been arrested, media outlets shuttered, and political opponents—especially those from pro-Kurdish parties like the HDP—have faced systematic purges and imprisonment. While Western media frets over 'democratic backsliding' in Turkey, they often overlook the cozy relationship between NATO allies and strongmen. The US, for instance, has long
maintained strategic ties with Erdoğan's government, despite its increasingly authoritarian tendencies. One might wonder if similar alarm bells would ring if these mayors were, say, challenging a US client state (like, ironically, Israel's current government's erosion of its own judicial independence). The hypocrisy is thick enough to cut with a spoon: Crackdowns are 'alarming' when they serve
adversaries, but mere 'internal affairs' when they serve allies.