Istanbul Mayor's New Appointment Sparks Controversy in Pro-Government Media

The new appointment of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul and a member of Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), has stirred up controversy in pro-government media, reports ermenihaber.am.

İmamoğlu has appointed Zeynep Tanbay, known for her sharp criticisms of the government on various issues and for recognizing the Armenian Genocide, as an advisor in the municipal government. Several media outlets with pro-government or right-wing leanings have labeled this appointment as “scandalous,” highlighting some of Tanbay's past criticisms directed at the authorities.

In particular, the website of the pro-government newspaper “Sabah,” often viewed as a mouthpiece for President Erdoğan, recalled that Tanbay participated in events dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide in Istanbul in 2016 and quoted her social media post from that occasion: “The state should apologize, provide compensation, return state-owned properties to Armenians, and grant them citizenship.”

The outlet also recalled that on one occasion, Tanbay stated that no one could compel her to repeat the motto of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey: “Happy is he who says, ‘I am a Turk.’” Tanbay has frequently voiced sharp criticisms of the Turkish government's policies towards the Kurdish population as well.