Espionage allegations: The government's new card or their last hope?

Yesterday morning, another new but familiar spectacle unfolded in the legal and political arenas: A new investigation was launched against imprisoned presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu and his communications advisor Necati Özkan on charges of " espionage ." TELE1 Editor-in-Chief and journalist Merdan Yanardağ was also detained in connection with the same case. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's announcement that the investigation "is being expanded and continued in cooperation with the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and the Police Department" is more than just a legal process; it's a political message.

The 2019 local elections were allegedly manipulated, voter information was shared, and espionage activities were conducted in collaboration with foreign intelligence agencies. This time, the name identified is Hüseyin Gün. The allegations that this mysterious individual is the head of a profit-oriented criminal organization led by Ekrem İmamoğlu, that Necati Özkan contributed to the campaign with voter profile analyses, and that Merdan Yanardağ was involved in the process by organizing the press, leave us with a dark sense of humor. So, the Istanbul election was essentially a James Bond operation, and we weren't aware of it while MI6 agents were counting votes at the polls. It wouldn't surprise anyone if they soon produce another piece of "evidence" claiming that İmamoğlu stuffed ballots with a spy pen.

Frankly, we should be discussing the political intentions of these allegations rather than their legal content. The methods we've witnessed in Türkiye in recent years point to a single conclusion: The government is pushing the limits of its creativity by disguising it in legal terms to neutralize the effective opposition. Neither diplomas, nor terrorism, nor corruption accusations have found credibility with the public; now it's time to address the "threat to state security."

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This move clearly aims to achieve two goals: First, fabricate a justification for the appointment of a trustee to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, classify İmamoğlu as a "threat to state security," and open the door to administrative intervention. Second, attempt to silence dissenting voices by intimidating the media through Merdan Yanardağ, a psychological attack designed to convince the public, whom they have failed to convince.

Because the vast majority of the public views these operations as political, not legal. Public opinion polls show that the public remains unconvinced by the diploma debate, the terrorism allegations, or the corruption accusations. Therefore, the government is reworking its repertoire of inflationary accusations , clinging to narratives like the claim that the 2019 elections were "won with foreign intelligence support." They simply cannot accept that they were defeated by the will of the people.

Beyond political tactics, there's also an ethical issue. Those who fabricate these claims, those who make all citizens' data available for sale for 100 TL, are attempting to frame municipal practices as espionage. Do those making such a serious accusation even understand the meaning of espionage? Or is it a testament to the dire situation they face in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality investigation?

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The government's history of "conspiracies" and attempts to pressure opposition media is nothing new; it's practically become a classic. The investigations hanging over TELE1, which has always spoken the truth, have long hung like the sword of Damocles. Trying to make "spies" out of journalist Merdan Yanardağ and Ekrem İmamoğlu, who won the presidential nomination with the votes of 15.5 million citizens, is not only a violation of the law, but also a slap in the face of conscience; it's like a tragicomic theater scene. This country's true security problem is the government's mentality that declares the will of the people an enemy. Under the pretext of protecting the state's survival, it aims to protect its own interests.

This order, which is trying to save its own existence, has long exhausted its own legitimacy.

Everyone knows that the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality investigation is not a legal matter, but a political operation and an organized intimidation of the opposition media.

The government thinks it can silence the opposition by using the law as a cudgel; however, no government that has survived on regimes of fear has ever lasted long.

No victory won through pressure, threats, or tales of espionage is legitimate.

Democracy cannot be surrendered; every voice silenced, every news item banned, every vote ignored will sooner or later return as evidence eroding the legitimacy of this government.

So, what's the AKP's next plan? Will they target the 4,169,765 people who voted for Ekrem İmamoğlu? Am I the AKP's next target, or are you?