AKP figures' fear of İmamoğlu: 'If he gets out of prison...'

Nefes columnist Nuray Babacan has brought remarkable assessments from within the AKP to her column.

According to Babacan, the detention of CHP's Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu is dragging not only the opposition but also the ruling party into internal debates.

İmamoğlu, who was arrested on March 19 in an operation conducted over 'corruption' allegations, has been in prison for nearly three months. However, according to insider information obtained by Babacan, there is a significant segment within the AKP that is uncomfortable with this situation.

"IF HE GETS OUT OF PRISON, IT WILL BE AGAINST US"

As reported in Babacan's column, one of the high-level figures in the AKP remarked to his inner circle, "From this point on, if İmamoğlu gets out of prison, it will be against us; we will be finished."

It was stated that the individual in question also carried out persuasion activities within the party during the process of appointing a trustee to İmamoğlu. These statements indicate that the perception that İmamoğlu's release from prison could create a political breaking point for the ruling party is strengthening.

OBJECTIONS FROM AKP LEGAL EXPERTS

It has been learned that some legal experts within the AKP have also criticized the arrest decisions and trustee debates regarding İmamoğlu. Babacan stated that these criticisms within the party were made on "legal grounds" and that there are those who argue that the appointment of a trustee to the IMM could lead to a serious fracture in terms of the democratic system.

However, pressure was applied from within the party against these objections. According to Babacan, some AKP figures with legal backgrounds were warned to "keep quiet, do not debate." Stating that politicians familiar with the process have silenced their colleagues who were objecting, Babacan noted, "It is known that AKP figures who understand the political and legal processes are against the process, even if they do not say it openly."

In addition to İmamoğlu's detention, it was reported that the lawsuit filed for the cancellation of the CHP's 38th Ordinary Convention has also caused repercussions within the AKP. It is stated that the fact that a party congress held and approved under the supervision of the Supreme Election Council has become a matter for the courts is being seriously debated in legal circles.