Latest news with #RepublicanPeople'sParty
DW
6 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
Euronews
6 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Turkish court convicts Istanbul mayor of insulting an official
A Turkish court convicted Istanbul's jailed opposition mayor on Wednesday of insulting and threatening a public official and sentenced him to a year and eight months in prison. Ekrem İmamoğlu, seen as the main political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been held in a prison west of Istanbul since 23 March. He 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 20 January in which he criticised Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek, accusing him of targeting opposition figures through alleged politically motivated investigations. The court on Wednesday convicted İmamoğlu of insulting and threatening Gürlek but acquitted him of the charge of publicly identifying him with the intent of making him a target. İmamoğlu, regarded as the principal challenger to Erdoğan's more than two-decade-rule, has denied the accusations. The mayor was arrested alongside other politicians from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) as part of investigations into alleged corruption. His arrest triggered the largest street protests across Turkey in more than a decade. Despite being behind bars, he was officially nominated as the presidential candidate of the CHP. Turkey's next elections are due to be held in 2028, but may take place sooner. Since İmamoğlu's arrest, dozens of officials from CHP-controlled municipalities have faced waves of arrests as part of probes into alleged tender rigging and bribery. The arrests have drawn widespread criticism from opposition leaders, who argue that the charges are politically motivated. İmamoğlu himself has described the trial as "punishment, not justice," and accused the judiciary of acting under government pressure. Erdoğan's government insists that the courts are impartial and free of political involvement.
Rhyl Journal
6 days ago
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Turkish opposition leader jailed for ‘insulting' prosecutor
Ekrem Imamoglu, who has been held in a prison west of Istanbul since March 23, is expected to appeal against the verdict, which is part of several ongoing legal proceedings against him. The case, which pre-dates his arrest, stems from comments he made on January 20 in which he criticised Istanbul chief public prosecutor Akin Gurlek, accusing him of targeting opposition figures through alleged politically motivated investigations. The court on Wednesday convicted Mr Imamoglu of insulting and threatening Mr Gurlek but acquitted him of the charge of publicly identifying him with the intent of making him a target. Mr Imamoglu, regarded as the main challenger to Mr 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 Mr 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. Mr Imamoglu has described the trial as 'punishment, not justice' and accused the judiciary of acting under government pressure. Mr Erdogan's government insists that the courts are impartial and free of political involvement.
Glasgow Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Turkish opposition leader jailed for ‘insulting' prosecutor
Ekrem Imamoglu, who has been held in a prison west of Istanbul since March 23, is expected to appeal against the verdict, which is part of several ongoing legal proceedings against him. The case, which pre-dates his arrest, stems from comments he made on January 20 in which he criticised Istanbul chief public prosecutor Akin Gurlek, accusing him of targeting opposition figures through alleged politically motivated investigations. The court on Wednesday convicted Mr Imamoglu of insulting and threatening Mr Gurlek but acquitted him of the charge of publicly identifying him with the intent of making him a target. Mr Imamoglu, regarded as the main challenger to Mr 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 Mr 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. Mr Imamoglu has described the trial as 'punishment, not justice' and accused the judiciary of acting under government pressure. Mr Erdogan's government insists that the courts are impartial and free of political involvement.
DW
6 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Turkey: Istanbul mayor Imamoglu hit with new 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 an additional prison sentence. The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, was on Wednesday handed an additional prison sentence, 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 another year and eight months in prison for insulting and threatening the 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
