The Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office accused Imamoglu of making “threatening” statements against Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Akin Gurlek and his family, state-run Anadolu agency reported. Imamoglu dismissed the allegations in a post on X.
Imamoglu, is a member of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party and is regarded as the main contender to Erdogan. He first rose to prominence in 2019 after unexpectedly defeating Erdogan’s party in an election for Turkey’s largest city, a feat which he repeated last year. He secured a second term in March, in a vote which polls had suggested was too close to call.
Istanbul’s benchmark equity gauge traded mostly flat after local media reported the investigation. It had risen as much as 0.7% earlier. The lira fell as much as 0.4% to 35.6049 per dollar, extending declines into a second day.
Turkey’s government has increasingly scrutinized opposition-held municipalities since suffering heavy losses in key cities, including Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. Recently, municipal bank accounts have been frozen over social security debts, hampering local governments’ ability to operate.
The Istanbul mayor is also facing a separate case where he’s accused of insulting members of Turkey’s election authority. In the 2019 election, Imamoglu’s victory was initially annulled and he was forced into a re-run. The high-profile figure in Turkey’s opposition faces a political ban if an initial prison sentence of two years and seven months in prison is upheld by higher appeals courts.
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Istanbul Mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, Turkey's opposition, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, political investigation
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