Jailed Turkish mayor, an Erdogan rival, makes 1st court appearance since arrest

The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 11, 2025 8:23 AM EDT | Last Updated: 17 minutes ago

Istanbul's jailed absorption politician appeared successful tribunal connected Friday successful 1 of aggregate cases against him. Hundreds of supporters gathered extracurricular Silivri prison, westbound of Istanbul, wherever the proceeding was taking place. 

Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has been held astatine Silivri since March 23. The lawsuit alleges helium threatened a nationalist authoritative and is 1 of six that predate his apprehension past month, which led to nationwide protests. 

Addressing the judge, Imamoglu said helium was successful tribunal due to the fact that helium had won 3 elections against the idiosyncratic "who thinks helium owns Istanbul," a notation to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who launched his governmental vocation arsenic the city's politician successful the 1990s. 

The proceeding was attended by Imamoglu's woman and son, arsenic good arsenic lawmakers from the Republican People's Party (CHP), Halk TV and different outlets reported. The lawsuit was adjourned to June 16. 

The mayor, who is besides the main absorption challenger to Erdogan's 22-year regularisation successful the adjacent nationalist election, faces much than 7 years successful situation and a governmental prohibition for allegedly "targeting, threatening and insulting persons moving successful the combat against terrorism."

The complaint stems from comments helium made connected Jan. 20, successful which helium criticized Istanbul main nationalist authoritative Akin Gurlek implicit transgression cases brought against different absorption figures. 

Politically motivated charges, absorption says

Imamoglu was arrested connected March 19 successful narration to 2 investigations — 1 focusing connected corruption successful the Istanbul municipality and different alleging coercion links successful his party's electoral pact with pro-Kurdish politicians. 

Demonstrations calling for his merchandise and an extremity to Turkey's antiauthoritarian backsliding nether Erdogan led to immoderate 2,000 radical being detained for attending protests banned by the authorities. 

WATCH l Imamoglu supporters defy nationalist gathering prohibition successful protestation of apprehension (March 19):

The politician was officially nominated arsenic the CHP statesmanlike campaigner portion successful custody. An predetermination is owed to beryllium held successful 2028 but whitethorn travel sooner, and Imamoglu's imprisonment has been wide viewed arsenic politically motivated, though the authorities insists Turkey's judiciary is autarkic and escaped of governmental influence. 

Two different courts successful Istanbul were besides holding hearings connected cases against Imamoglu on Friday. 

One is simply a bid-rigging lawsuit that dates backmost 10 years, erstwhile helium was politician of Istanbul's Beylikduzu district. The different alleges amerciable donation postulation and stems from a video circulated successful the run-up to past year's section elections showing CHP unit counting bundles of cash.

In 2019, Imamoglu was forced into a repetition predetermination for politician aft the ruling enactment challenged the archetypal ballot implicit alleged irregularities, and Turkey's electoral committee nullified the results and revoked Imamoglu's mandate aft 18 days. Many voters were outraged, and helium won a 2nd vote.