Istanbul Mayor Faces Seven-Year Prison Sentence in Politically Charged Case

Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent opposition figure and Erdoğan rival, is accused of insulting officials and could face a ban from public office.

Turkish prosecutors have requested a seven-year prison sentence and a public office ban for Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a leading member of the opposition CHP party.
The charges stem from allegations of insulting a prosecutor and a judicial expert, which İmamoğlu denies, asserting his comments fall under free speech rights.
İmamoğlu has criticized the case as politically motivated, accusing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of using judicial tactics to suppress opposition ahead of future elections.
The mayor, seen as a potential challenger to Erdoğan in upcoming elections, has faced multiple legal challenges, including other cases that could also result in a political ban.
The case has drawn attention to broader concerns about judicial independence and the treatment of opposition figures in Turkey under Erdoğan's administration.