Turkish court sentences opposition leader to jail, political ban
As Turkey heads for a tight election, an Istanbul court has sentenced Ekrem Imamoglu, seen by some as the man who could unseat Erdogan, to two years and seven months in prison for insulting a public officer.
A Turkish court sentenced Istanbul's charismatic mayor to prison Wednesday over a remark he made after defeating an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the 2019 local elections.
Though Ekrem Imamoglu will not serve time in prison as the sentence is shorter than five years, it effectively bars him from political office for the duration of his sentence of two years, seven months and 15 days and forces him to leave his post as mayor of Istanbul. But the ruling will have to be upheld on appeal before it is enforced.
“Until this legal process is finalized, our mayor will continue his duties,” a spokesperson for the mayor’s office told Al-Monitor, explaining that the appeals process is expected to take between three months and one year.
A few hours before the verdict was read, Imamoglu called for his supporters to gather in front of the town hall in Istanbul’s Sarachane neighborhood.
