Istanbul Mayor Denounces Legal Probes as Thousands Rally in Support

Ekrem Imamoglu, a key opposition figure and potential Erdogan rival, claims the investigations are politically motivated efforts to undermine his leadership.

• Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu testified Friday in two new legal probes involving alleged threats and criticism of judicial officials, which he denies as baseless accusations.
• Thousands of supporters gathered outside the Istanbul courthouse, clashing with police who used tear gas to disperse the crowd during the tense demonstrations.
• Imamoglu, re-elected as mayor last year, described the investigations as part of a larger campaign of judicial harassment targeting opposition figures in Turkey.
• The Turkish government has faced widespread criticism for allegedly using the judiciary to suppress political dissent, a claim it denies, citing terrorism-related concerns for its actions.
• Imamoglu, a prominent member of the Republican People's Party (CHP), has vowed to continue fighting what he calls an erosion of democracy under President Erdogan's two-decade rule.

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Associated Press