A court in Istanbul sentenced the city’s mayor and chief rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ekrem Imamoglu, to another prison term, state broadcaster TRT reported on July 16.
Imamoglu, who has been behind bars pending trial since March over separate corruption charges, was handed a sentence of one year and eight months for “insulting and threatening” the chief Istanbul prosecutor, Akin Gurlek, during a panel discussion on Jan. 20.
Although acquitted of the charge of “targeting a person fighting against terrorism,” Imamoglu was sentenced to one year, five months, and 15 days in prison for “publicly insulting a public official because of his duty,” and two months and 15 days for “threat,” according to Turkish outlet Cumhuriyet.
Two appeals courts must now confirm the sentence before it takes effect.
During his defense, Imamoglu took aim at what he said was the political nature of his prosecution.
“This is a courthouse,” he said, according to CNN Turk. “There should be no political interference here.”
“I will continue to stand against the abuse of the judiciary and its use as a political apparatus,” he said. “I will continue to think about future generations, not the election.”
“There is not the slightest deviation in our will and courage,” Celik wrote in a post accompanying the picture.
“These days are the days when those who resist will be remembered with honor, and the oppressors with shame. With confidence in our righteousness, the support of our people, and our determination, we will win this struggle.”
The image showed Imamoglu, in a gray suit, looking toward the camera and raising his right hand.
This is the second time Imamoglu has been convicted of insulting public officials.
In 2022, he was sentenced to two years and six months for criticizing election board officials over a decision to cancel the 2019 Istanbul elections after he defeated the ruling Justice and Development Party candidate.
He has appealed that conviction, but it has not yet been reviewed.
The 2022 conviction, if upheld, could prevent him from standing in future elections.
Other obstacles to Imamoglu’s electoral aspirations include the annulment of his diploma by Istanbul University in March.
Without it, he cannot stand as a candidate for president.
Since October 2024, police have detained more than 500 people, more than 200 of whom were then jailed pending trial, under investigations into municipalities run by the CHP.
The CHP denies corruption allegations and calls them a politicized attempt by Erdogan to remove electoral threats, a charge the government and president reject.
In local polls held in 2024, CHP mayoral candidates were elected in Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, and several other municipalities across the country.
In the months leading up to Imamoglu’s arrest, two other CHP-linked mayors—both in the province of Istanbul—were removed from their posts after being convicted of corruption and terrorism-related charges.
Within the same period, eight other mayors in eastern Turkey, all of whom were affiliated with the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, were removed from their posts following similar convictions.
All the mayors denied the charges against them. They said their convictions—and subsequent removal from office—were motivated by political considerations.
