Ekrem Imamoglu denies the charges he tried to influence Turkiye’s judicial power in the remarks he made on civil servants.
The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, a leading opposition figure and a potential challenger by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appeared before the court to refuse the accusations that he tried to influence the judiciary.
Imamoglu, 53, appeared on Friday in the Istanbul courthouse, to deal with charges of threat, insulting and targeting an official and trying to influence a trial.
“I did not initiate any action by targeting a person. It is impossible for me to act in this way. I do not accept accusations against me, “said Imamoglu to prosecutors.
The accusations were focused on the criticism of Imamoglu of legal affairs brought against the municipalities managed by the opposition, including its own party of the Republican People (CHP). His testimony was linked to the remarks he made about a chief prosecutor and a legal expert.
The case against him is the last in a series of legal challenges faced by opposition politicians in Turkiye, where rights defense groups declared that judicial independence was eroded during the rule of two Decades of Erdogan.
Imamoglu has already been found guilty of the accusations of insults of members of the Supreme Electoral Council of Turkiye and faces a political ban if its conviction in 2022 is confirmed on appeal. He is also tried to have been involved in the alleged fuel of offers in a tender dating from 2015.
Thousands of his supporters gathered in court on Friday to protest against the legal actions against Imamoglu.
Tensions increased when the riot police prevented a CHP bus from approaching the courthouse. This decision led to clashes between the demonstrators and the police, who responded with tear gas. It was not clear if arrests were processed.
Imamoglu then addressed the top of the bus to another place.
“Today’s question is … a question of research and justice research,” said the mayor. “Unfortunately, today’s problem stems from a plot that is fixed against Istanbul.”
The mayor of the opposition of Ankara, Mansur Yavas, who was there to support Imamoglu, also accused the government of transforming Turkiye into “open prison”.
The Turkish authorities regularly target critical journalists, lawyers and political representatives elected with criminal charges, in particular for a coup in 2016 against the government of Erdogan.
“The government is trying to limit space for adversaries, including journalists, and intimidate them with unjust accusations,” Fethi Kocaer, 71, was in the crowd to the crowd to the crowd exterior of the court. He held a banner while reading: “We are going to fight together.”
“The courage and strong position of the mayor Imamoglu will help us unite. We will not give up, but we will intensify the fight against injustice. »»
Imamoglu was elected for the first time to lead Istanbul in March 2019. His victory was a blow for the Erdogan justice and development party (AK), which with the predecessor party had checked Istanbul for a quarter of century.
The AK party prompted to cancel the results of the municipal elections in the city of 16 million people, alleging irregularities. The challenge led to a rehearsal of the elections a few months later, which Imamoglu also won.
Imamoglu was re -elected the mayor of the largest city in Turkiye last year.
The Turkish authorities have withdrawn a number of elected mayors from the CHP and pro-Kurdish parties in recent years, saying that they have been linked to “terrorism” surveys.
Emma Sinclair-Webb, director of Turkiye at Human Rights Watch, said on Friday that the practice of the elimination of mayors and the appointment of government administrators have been built democracy.
“This is an important assault against the rights of voters to elect their chosen representatives and a violation of the law in the free and fair elections,” Sinclair-Webb told the Reuters news agency.
“At a time when the government speaks of resolving the Kurdish conflict, it is dismaying and confusing to see these repression measures continue against democratically elected officials. This practice flies in the face of any positive solution to the conflict, ”she added.
