Latest news with #EkremImamoglu
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Erdoğan rival given prison term for threatening Istanbul prosecutor
Istanbul's mayor and Turkey's leading opposition figure, Ekrem İmamoğlu, has been given a 20-month prison sentence for insulting and threatening the city's public prosecutor, according to a court document obtained by Agence France-Presse. The case is one of a number lined up against İmamoğlu, the main rival of the country's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He is already being held over an investigation into alleged corruption. His arrest in March as part of that case triggered Turkey's worst street protests in more than a decade. Wednesday's hearing was held at Silivri court and prison complex on the western outskirts of Istanbul, where İmamoğlu has been held since his arrest. He was jailed for a year, five months and 15 days for having insulted a civil servant, and two months and 15 days for threats, the court document showed. İmamoğlu, who appeared in court, has denied all of the allegations. He says he has been targeted because of his plans to challenge Erdoğan in the 2028 presidential elections. The prosecutor had initially called for İmamoğlu to face up to seven years and four months behind bars, and to be banned from holding public office. That ban, which is imposed when a suspect gets a minimum two-year jail term, was not applied. İmamoğlu was elected Istanbul mayor in 2019 and re-elected in 2024. He was arrested on 19 March in connection with a corruption investigation and allegations of links to terrorism. The string of charges against him could prevent him taking part in the 2028 presidential election. His arrest prompted demonstrations across the country in the worst unrest since the 2013 Gezi Park protests, which spread across Turkey and which police brutally suppressed.
CNN
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Turkish court convicts jailed Istanbul mayor and Erdogan rival of threatening a public official
A Turkish court on Wednesday convicted Istanbul's jailed opposition mayor and the chief rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of insulting and threatening a public official and sentenced him to a year and eight months in prison. Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is being held in a prison west of Istanbul since March 23, is expected to appeal the verdict, which is part of several ongoing legal proceedings against him. The case, which predates his arrest, stems from comments he made on Jan. 20 in which he criticized Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akin Gurlek, accusing him of targeting opposition figures through alleged politically motivated investigations. The court on Wednesday convicted Imamoglu of insulting and threatening Gurlek but acquitted him of the charge of publicly identifying him with the intent of making him a target. Imamoglu, regarded as the main challenger to Erdogan's more than two-decade-rule, has denied the accusations. The mayor was arrested alongside other politicians from the main opposition party as part of investigations into alleged corruption. His arrest triggered the largest street protests in Turkey in more than a decade. Despite being behind bars, he was officially nominated as the presidential candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP. Elections are due to be held in 2028, but may come sooner. Since Imamoglu's arrest, dozens of officials from CHP-controlled municipalities have faced waves of arrests as part of investigations into alleged tender rigging and bribery. The arrests have drawn widespread criticism from opposition leaders, who argue that the charges are politically motivated. Imamoglu himself has described the trial as 'punishment, not justice,' and accused the judiciary of acting under government pressure. Erdogan's government insists that the courts are impartial and free of political involvement.
CNN
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Turkish court convicts jailed Istanbul mayor and Erdogan rival of threatening a public official
A Turkish court on Wednesday convicted Istanbul's jailed opposition mayor and the chief rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of insulting and threatening a public official and sentenced him to a year and eight months in prison. Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is being held in a prison west of Istanbul since March 23, is expected to appeal the verdict, which is part of several ongoing legal proceedings against him. The case, which predates his arrest, stems from comments he made on Jan. 20 in which he criticized Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akin Gurlek, accusing him of targeting opposition figures through alleged politically motivated investigations. The court on Wednesday convicted Imamoglu of insulting and threatening Gurlek but acquitted him of the charge of publicly identifying him with the intent of making him a target. Imamoglu, regarded as the main challenger to Erdogan's more than two-decade-rule, has denied the accusations. The mayor was arrested alongside other politicians from the main opposition party as part of investigations into alleged corruption. His arrest triggered the largest street protests in Turkey in more than a decade. Despite being behind bars, he was officially nominated as the presidential candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP. Elections are due to be held in 2028, but may come sooner. Since Imamoglu's arrest, dozens of officials from CHP-controlled municipalities have faced waves of arrests as part of investigations into alleged tender rigging and bribery. The arrests have drawn widespread criticism from opposition leaders, who argue that the charges are politically motivated. Imamoglu himself has described the trial as 'punishment, not justice,' and accused the judiciary of acting under government pressure. Erdogan's government insists that the courts are impartial and free of political involvement.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu, Erdogan rival, gets jail term for ‘threatening' prosecutor
Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Turkiye's leading opposition figure, got a 20-month prison sentence for insulting and threatening the city's public prosecutor on Wednesday (July 16, 2025), according to a court document obtained by AFP. The case is one of a number lined up against Mr. Imamoglu, the main rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is already being held over an investigation into alleged corruption. His arrest in March as part of that case triggered Turkiye's worst street protests in more than a decade. Wednesday's (July 16, 2025) hearing was held at Silivri court and prison complex on the western outskirts of Istanbul, where Mr. Imamoglu has been held since his arrest. The court handed him a jail term of one year, five months and 15 days for having insulted a civil servant and two months and 15 days for threats, the court document showed. Mr. Imamoglu, who appeared in court, has denied all the allegations, arguing that he was being targeted because of his plans to challenge Erdogan in the 2028 presidential elections. The prosecutor had initially called for Mr. Imamoglu to face up to seven years and four months behind bars, and to be banned from holding political office. On Wednesday (July 16, 2025), that ban — which is handed down when the suspect gets a minimum two-year jail term — was not applied. Mr. Imamoglu was elected Istanbul Mayor in 2019 and re-elected in 2024. He was arrested on March 19 in connection with a graft probe and allegations of terror ties. The string of charges against him could prevent him taking part in the next presidential race. His arrest sparked demonstrations across the country in the worst street unrest since the 2013 Gezi Park protests, which spread across Turkiye and were brutally suppressed by police.
DW
4 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Turkey: Istanbul mayor Imamoglu hit with jail term – DW – 07/16/2025
Turkish opposition figure Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul, is already in pre-trial detention on separate charges, but has now been hit with a prison sentence for insulting Istanbul's chief prosecutor. The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, was on Wednesday handed a prison sentence for insulting a prosecutor, according to Turkish state media. Imamoglu, the main political rival to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been in jail pending trial since March on separate corruption charges. He has now been sentenced to a year and eight months in prison for insulting and threatening Istanbul's chief prosecutor. Under Turkish law, prison terms of this length do not typically result in incarceration, but Imamoglu remains in pre-trial detention on other charges. The case stems from remarks Imamoglu made after a raid on the home of a youth leader from his opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), when he said Istanbul's chief prosecutor, Akin Gürlek, had a "rotten" mind. Imamoglu denies the charges against him and told broadcaster Halk TV and other Turkish media: "I've been fighting against the abuse of the judiciary and against its use as a political tool. This is indeed an insult against our nation." It's not the first time that Imamoglu has been convicted of insulting public officials. In 2022, he was sentenced to two years and six months in jail for criticizing election board officials over a decision to cancel the 2019 Istanbul elections in which he defeated the candidate from President Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). He has appealed that sentence but it has not yet been reviewed. If upheld, the conviction could prevent Imamoglu from participating in future elections. In March, Istanbul University annulled Imamoglu's university diploma, without which he cannot stand as a candidate for president. Since his arrest on March 19, Turkish opposition figures have come under increasing pressure, with dozens of CHP mayors dismissed or detained on allegations of corruption. The CHP denies corruption allegations and calls them a government attempt to remove electoral threats against Erdogan, a charge the government rejects. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
