Istanbul Mayor Jailed for Up to 12 Years as Opposition Fights Back
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has been jailed pending trial on charges of fraud and organized crime, a case that could keep him behind bars for 12 years and threatens to derail his 2028 presidential bid. [196163] The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is now battling on multiple fronts, with 833 delegates demanding an extraordinary congress to restore internal democracy and party leaders accusing the government of targeting opposition-run cities. [196129][196154]
İmamoğlu, who has been Istanbul’s elected mayor since 2019, said he is given only three minutes to defend himself against each charge. [196135] While several co-defendants in the case against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality have been released, İmamoğlu remains in custody. [192644] The trial is being held at the Silivri prison complex, Europe’s largest, which critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government often reference as a symbol of political repression. [196163]
Meanwhile, the opposition is escalating its response. CHP leader Özgür Özel accused the government of attempting to spread fear in Ankara after a police operation at Çankaya Municipality, saying officials are trying to tarnish the reputation of the capital’s mayor, Mansur Yavaş. [196154] The pro-Kurdish DEM Party has also weighed in, demanding an end to the appointment of state trustees to replace elected municipal officials. [196130]
President Erdoğan, for his part, reaffirmed that Turkey will continue its fight against the FETO terror organization, which the government blames for a 2016 coup attempt, stating that “terrorist groups have reached a dead end.” [196681]