When a German reporter asked President Erdogan about the imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu's case during a press conference with German Chancellor Merz on Oct. 30, everyone held their breath, wondering how he would respond. He has not faced such a direct question very often since Imamoglu's detention, especially from the Turkish press.

Instead, he smiled and said that nobody is untouchable under Turkish law, regardless of their rank or office. Then, he shifted the focus to the illegal betting probe against hundreds of referees in Turkish football, saying that the public welcomed such anti-corruption investigations.

Despite his measured response, Erdogan seemed to ignore the gravity of the question. The reason is that he is very well aware of Western countries' disinterest in Türkiye's internal matters due to geopolitical tensions and the need for Türkiye's defense and political capabilities. Trump's America is a factor as well, as the U.S. stopped criticizing other countries over their domestic politics. Türkiye's ability to come up with quick solutions and its reach across various geographies as a NATO member are major advantages for the West.

When a German reporter asked President Erdogan about the imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu's case during a press conference with German Chancellor Merz on Oct. 30, everyone held their breath, wondering how he would respond. He has not faced such a direct question very often since Imamoglu's detention, especially from the Turkish press.

Instead, he smiled and said that nobody is untouchable under Turkish law, regardless of their rank or office. Then, he shifted the focus to the illegal betting probe against hundreds of referees in Turkish football, saying that the public welcomed such anti-corruption investigations.

Despite his measured response, Erdogan seemed to ignore the gravity of the question. The reason is that he is very well aware of Western countries' disinterest in Türkiye's internal matters due to geopolitical tensions and the need for Türkiye's defense and political capabilities. Trump's America is a factor as well, as the U.S. stopped criticizing other countries over their domestic politics. Türkiye's ability to come up with quick solutions and its reach across various geographies as a NATO member are major advantages for the West.