New criminal case against Istanbul Mayor: Could lead to political ban

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu faces another criminal case, this time for allegedly threatening Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek.

The indictment, prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, lists Prosecutor Gürlek as the “victim” and seeks a prison sentence ranging from 2 years 8 months to 7 years 4 months.

The charges against İmamoğlu include “public insult of a public official,” “threatening,” and “targeting persons who have taken part in the fight against terrorism.”

If convicted, the sentence could result in a political ban, preventing İmamoğlu from holding public office.

İmamoğlu’s lawyer, Kemal Polat, told ANKA news agency that they haven’t received any official notification about the indictment.

“We cannot comment on an indictment that we haven’t received or accessed, nor do we know if it has been accepted by the court. I leave it to the public to judge why they have publicized news about an indictment whose status is unclear,” Polat said.

Case after case against Istanbul Mayor

This case adds to the growing legal challenges faced by İmamoğlu, who has become a significant opposition figure in Turkish politics since defeating the ruling party’s candidate in Istanbul’s 2019 mayoral election.

He is already facing another case that could bar him from politics

One case stems from his use of the word “fool” in response to former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, which prosecutors argued was directed at election board officials. The appeal for that case is still pending.

The latest indictment was filed following İmamoğlu’s comments about early morning police raids, made after the detention of Cem Aydın, the head of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Youth Branch. In his statement, İmamoğlu expressed his desire to ensure that in the future, no one’s children would be detained in pre-dawn operations as they are today.

Two other investigations

Just last week, İmamoğlu testified in two separate investigations, including one regarding his comments about Prosecutor Gürlek and another concerning his statements about an expert witness. During his testimony, he rejected all accusations, maintaining that his statements were a necessary part of democratic discourse.

The indictment has been sent to the high criminal court for evaluation.

The prosecutors are also seeking to apply Article 53/1 of the Turkish Penal Code, which would bar İmamoğlu from holding any public office, including parliamentary membership or any appointed or elected positions in state, provincial, municipal, or village institutions.