Turkish court convicts jailed Istanbul mayor and Erdogan rival of threatening a public official
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fraud probe opened into Mbappe payments to police officers
An investigation has been opened into potentially fraudulent payments made by Kylian Mbappe to five police officers assigned to protect the French national football team, the public prosecutor's office told AFP on Thursday. The probe comes after a tip-off from the French finance ministry's anti-money laundering unit, which reported "unusual financial transactions" benefitting the five police officers. "Investigations, which are by their very nature complex in the case of financial transactions, are underway in order to establish whether any criminal offences have been committed," the public prosecutor's office said. French investigative weekly Le Canard Enchaine on Wednesday reported that the France national team captain's money was used to "pay under the table for private services", to the tune of 180,300 euros ($209,000). The Real Madrid striker's entourage issued a statement saying "everything was done in compliance with the rules". It added that Mbappe had "always chosen to donate in full his bonuses" for playing for France at international level. "It's what he did after the 2022 World Cup, with complete transparency," the statement continued, saying the money went to charitable organisations and security personnel that accompanied the team. gd/mat/cbn/sia/liu/mw/nf
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UC Berkeley professor's ex-wife, her boyfriend arrested for his murder: Reports
The ex-wife of a slain University of California, Berkeley, professor and four others have been arrested in connection with his death, according to multiple reports, citing Greek police sources. Four males, including one who is a minor, confessed to their involvement in the killing of Przemyslaw Jeziorski, 43, Greek police sources told CNN and ABC News. The sources said that the current boyfriend of the professor's ex-wife admitted to the murder, per CNN. Jeziorski's ex-wife is facing moral accomplice charges, the Greek police press office told CNN. Greek police announced the arrests of the five individuals in a news release on Thursday, July 17, saying three of them were accomplices and another was a local resident. Police added that the attacker approached Jeziorski and shot him in the chest and back, resulting in his fatal injury, before fleeing. Police did not name any of the suspects, including Jeziorski's ex-wife or her boyfriend, when contacted by USA TODAY on July 17. Jeziorski killed while going to visit children, brother says Jeziorski was shot and killed in Athens, Greece, on July 4 while heading to visit his two children, his brother Lukasz Jeziorski said in a statement on Facebook. Lukasz Jeziorski also commented on the recent development in a statement on July 17, in which he said five people, including his brother's ex-wife and her boyfriend, have now been arrested in connection with his brother's killing. Przemyslaw Jeziorski's ex-wife was allegedly "the orchestrator behind this heinous crime," and her boyfriend, "confessed to carrying out the shooting," Lukasz Jeziorski's statement says. Greek police said in the news release that they were able to identify the vehicle the shooter and his two accomplices were riding in during Jeziorski's murder by watching their movements before and during the killing. The two accomplices left the crime scene without the shooter, who went to the Nafplio area, police said. To avoid identification, the shooter even handed over his mobile phone and vehicle keys to his third accomplice, the department added. Przemyslaw Jeziorski death 43-year-old UC Berkeley professor killed in Greece, family says 'We want justice to be fully served' Lukasz Jeziorski said the arrests "bring us closer to justice." "Our family is heartbroken, but we are grateful to Greek police and security professionals that have identified and captured those accountable," the statement said. "We want justice to be fully served." Przemyslaw Jeziorski's two 10-year-old children are now in the care of Greek officials, Lukasz Jeziorski said. "Our primary concern is their safety and wellbeing, and helping them reconnect with their family to minimize the trauma they have already endured," the statement said. "As family members they know and trust, we ask for their privacy and respect during this difficult time as we focus on caring for these young children." Lukasz Jeziorski's statement also said his brother "loved his children and fought for them until the end." UC Berkeley professor remembered by colleagues Przemyslaw Jeziorski was an associate professor of marketing at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. Jenny Chatman, dean of UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, said in a statement that she is "heartbroken" by the news of Jeziorski's death. 'While authorities are investigating what happened, our focus is on supporting our community during this difficult period," Chatman said. "My heart goes out to Przemek's family and loved ones. We will miss him.' In tributes shared by UC Berkeley, Jeziorski was remembered by colleagues, students and friends. "He was an amazing person, friend, and colleague. He was a loving father of two young children and always there if someone needed help,' said Zsolt Katona, another marketing professor at UC Berkeley. Przemyslaw Jeziorski, who was known to colleagues and students as Przemek or PJ, was a Polish native. He held three master's degrees and a doctorate, according to UC Berkeley. Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UC Berkeley professor's ex-wife arrested for his murder: Reports
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Angela Rayner's reforms will crush jobs, business chiefs warn
Angela Rayner's workers' rights reforms will 'pull the ladder of employment away', the head of the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has warned. Shevaun Haviland, a former No10 official, warned that more rigid employment rules meant companies could 'see their entire employment model disappear'. Rather than adjust, Ms Haviland warned many businesses would 'stop recruiting altogether'. Writing in The Telegraph, the BCC chief said: 'With nearly 1m young people unemployed, this also risks making it even harder for the next generation of workers to get their foot in the door. 'Now is the time for the Government to take a step back and act on the very genuine concerns that employers are raising about some key proposals in the Bill.' Ms Haviland also called on the Chancellor to rule out further tax rises for businesses in the autumn, saying that the combination of excessive regulation and high taxation had left companies 'wading through treacle'. The intervention comes as Labour's Employment Rights Bill is further debated in the House of Lords. The legislation, which is being overseen by Ms Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, has been called the biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation. The reforms include plans to make it easier for workers to strike and do their jobs from home, 'day-one' rights against unfair dismissal and a ban on zero-hours contracts. However, the scale, speed and cost of the reforms have alarmed business leaders, who fear the new rules will trigger a blizzard of tribunal claims that will tie up companies in the courts. Lord Wolfson, the boss of Next, told peers earlier this week that it also risks leaving businesses 'chronically overstaffed' by making it harder to employ part-time workers. Ms Rayner has so far resisted pressure to water down the changes. However, Labour recently extended the timeline for the implementation of the new rules in a slight concession to businesses. Stronger paternity leave rights and whistleblowing protections will be rolled out by April 2026. However, the right to take companies to court for unfair dismissal from the first day of employment, and a right for staff to work from home will now not come into force until 2027, which was later than expected. Ms Haviland said businesses still needed more time. She called on ministers to 'slow the pace of change, to give business proper time to adapt'. Opponents are desperately trying to soften the reforms before they become law, with some peers this week backing a move to keep workers on zero-hours contracts. Paul Nowak, head of the TUC unions, said peers siding with bad bosses were 'out of touch and defying the will of the public'. A Government spokesman said: 'We take the views of business groups like the BCC seriously and have worked closely with employers on our proposals to ensure the Employment Rights Bill works for both workers and businesses across the UK. 'The bill will benefit more than half of all workers in the UK and we've seen 380,000 jobs added since the start of this Parliament. We remain committed to ensuring our Plan for Change delivers economic growth and secures jobs for working people.' The Government is going too far and too fast By Shevaun Haviland, British Chamber of Commerce director general Later this year, the Government will pass the most far-reaching employment law changes in nearly three decades. In that moment, it will set in motion reforms that will affect every business and every worker. No company will be left untouched. The ambition is immense, and the Government is absolutely right to push for the best deal for British workers. But at the British Chambers of Commerce we represent tens of thousands of businesses up and down the country. I talk to them every day, and there is one message they keep giving back to me: they're worried. They're worried about reforms they feel they were never properly consulted on – changes that could fundamentally alter their business models or make it harder to talk to their own workers. Above all, they're worried about the speed with which the changes are coming. In our recent survey, 77pc of businesses said they thought the pace of implementation was wrong. Because business plans for the long-term. When the Government talks about giving a year to adapt, it thinks it's being generous. In reality, that's a significant challenge for businesses, especially SMEs, who might see their entire employment model disappear. Don't just take my word for it. Instead, listen to the manufacturer in the East Midlands who told us they can't afford 'extensive background checks or HR support' as a small business. For them, these reforms add to the cost, complexity and risk of employing people. So, their answer to the Government's plan to give employees access to slow and expensive employment tribunals on their first day is simple: they'll stop recruiting altogether. Just think about that. The Government is pushing ahead with legislation that will pull the ladder of employment away from those trying to get into the job market. And with nearly 1m young people unemployed, this also risks making it even harder for the next generation of workers to get their foot in the door. Meanwhile, it is also pledging the most radical overhaul of trade union laws in a generation. Good industrial relations are vital, and every employee deserves fair rights at work. But the Employment Rights Bill makes it easier to call strikes, and faster to carry them out. As the legislation stands, just 2pc of the workforce would need to be in a union for it to gain recognition. And it is doing all of this when just 2pc of firms think that more trade union involvement would have a beneficial impact on their business and its workforce. So, it can't be any surprise that nearly four fifths of businesses have told us they don't think the Government has properly assessed the impact of its policies. We agree. The additional cost of all of this is a major concern. When the Government did its initial assessment of the plans, it estimated the cost to business stood at £5bn. This cost is being piled on top of the billions already being taken from firms by the increase in National Insurance. Nearly a year on, with the Government's focus now turning to implementation, we remain no less concerned about the costs to business and firms' ability to cope with the enormous scale of changes to come. Now is the time for the Government to take a step back and act on the very genuine concerns employers are raising about some key proposals in the Bill. It should remove counterproductive provisions on trade union thresholds and ensure employers have legal rights to dismiss new employees who are underperforming, without an employment tribunal. It needs to properly assess the costs it is going to impose. And it should slow the pace of change, to give business proper time to adapt. And, as we look to the Budget in autumn, we have one message for the Chancellor: no new taxes on business. The increase in employer National Insurance contributions has stopped businesses investing in growth, and the Employment Rights Bill is yet another burden. British business has the power to be the engine of growth for our economy, but right now companies feel like they are wading through treacle. It cannot continue. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
