Court sentences Istanbul mayor to prison for insulting state officials

ISTANBUL

Turkish court sentences Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu to 2 years and 7 months in prison on Dec. 14 on charges of insulting members of Türkiye’s Supreme Electoral Council.

The court convicted İmamoğlu of the charge and also imposed a political ban that could lead to him being removed from office. The politician from the main opposition Republican People’s Party is expected to appeal the verdict.

On previous hearings, the mayor denied insulting members of the council, insisting his words were “a response to Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu” calling him “a fool” and accusing him of criticizing Türkiye during his visit to the European Parliament after the cancellation of the local elections on March 31, 2019.

İmamoğlu’s reply to Soylu was: “When we look at where we fall in the eyes of Europe and the world, those who canceled the election are fools.”

After nationwide local polls and İmamoğlu got his first certificate of election, the YSK canceled the results, citing irregularities and illegalities.

Then in a June 23 do-over poll, İmamoğlu won 54.21 percent of the votes, leading the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) candidate Binali Yıldırım to concede the race.