Ousted and imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) testified Friday at the opening of a trial over accusations of threatening a public prosecutor, one of the several legal cases that could result in a prison sentence and a political ban.
The hearing, including CHP lawmakers, mayors and party members in the audience, began with İmamoğlu’s defense, which lasted about 40 minutes, Turkish media reported.
“I’m struggling to find the answer to why I am here today,” the mayor told the court in his defense.
The court case involves allegations that he threatened Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek. Prosecutors are seeking a prison term of up to seven years and four months for İmamoğlu.
He is accused of using his influence as a mayor to exert pressure on judiciary organs and members in a bid to win favors in lawsuits involving his party.
İmmaoğlu insisted his speech subject to the investigation did “not include any sort of threats”.
After his defense, the trial was adjourned to June 16, İmamoğlu’s lawyer Kemal Polat told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) afterwards.
The former mayor made “statements qualifying as threats” in January against Gürlek’s family after the arrest of Beşiktaş District Mayor Rıza Akpolat on charges of corruption.
Imamoğlu accused the chief prosecutor of having “a corrupt mindset.”
“We will change this mindset to save your children too. We will change that mindset so nobody would take away your children in a dawn raid,” Imamoğlu said.
The CHP has singled out the prosecutor for acting as a “guillotine” for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan following Akpolat’s arrest, accusing him of orchestrating the arrest of Ahmet Özer, another CHP mayor who was serving in the Esenyurt district before he was charged with links to the PKK terrorist group last year.
The government has dismissed accusations of political interference in the cases and says the judiciary is independent.
Later on Friday, İmamoğlu is due to stand trial on separate fraud charges related to his term as mayor of Istanbul’s Beylikdüzü district in 2015. He is not expected to attend the hearing in person, his lawyers said.
According to Turkish media, allegations include İmamoğlu approving a major housing development, though it was against regulations, helping the developer build more houses on an empty plot of land at the heart of Beylikdüzü district, which he governed between 2014 and 2019.
In total, the 53-year-old opposition politician faces five separate court cases – four of which could result in a political ban – and is the subject of three ongoing investigations.
Friday’s proceedings are not connected to İmamoğlu’s March 19 detention, after which he was placed in pre-trial remand at a high-security Istanbul prison.
The mayor is separately scheduled to testify Friday as a witness in a separate case against his party, the CHP.
In 2022, İmamoğlu received a political ban for insulting public officials, but the verdict is under appeal.
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