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Voxpress:

Erdogan's main rival, the US worried about the prison sentence of the mayor of Istanbul

2022-12-15 20:23:08Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Erdogan's main rival, the US worried about the prison sentence of the mayor
Ekrem Imamoglu

The State Department said today it is "deeply troubled and disappointed" by a decision made yesterday by a Turkish court, which sentenced Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu to two years and seven months in prison. Likewise, the court banned Mr. Imamoglu, a representative of the opposition, from carrying out political activities.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that "Washington is deeply concerned by the ongoing intimidation of civil society, media, political and business leaders in Turkey, including prolonged detention, of broad allegations of support for terrorism or prosecution of insult cases".

Washington called on Ankara to end prosecutions for insults, respect the rights and freedoms of all Turkish citizens, and guarantee an open environment for public debate.

The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, is seen as the main rival of President Tayyip Erdogan. His sentence comes just six months before scheduled presidential and parliamentary elections. However, the Turkish opposition has not yet officially determined its presidential candidate.

Wednesday's decision is expected to be sent to the Court of Appeal. Mr. Imamoglu, who represents the Republican People's Party (CHP), was tried for a speech given after the 2019 local elections in Istanbul, during which he said that those who canceled the election results were "fools". The maximum penalty for such charges is up to four years in prison.

Initially, Mr. Imamoglu narrowly won the elections for the mayor of Istanbul, elections that were held in March 2019. He defeated the candidate of the ruling AK Party, Mr. Erdogan. After the annulment of the results, which led to a repeat of the election process, he won with a more convincing result. His victory ended 25 years of control of Turkey's largest city by Mr Erdogan's party and its Islamist predecessors.

The outcome of the 2023 election will depend on the ability of the opposition CHP party, as well as other political forces in the opposition, to unite around a single candidate with the aim of challenging President Erdogan and the ruling AKP Turkey for two decades.

The Imamoglu case is now expected to go on appeal, potentially extending beyond elections in June 2023. Critics say Turkish courts are bent on the will of Mr Erdogan, although the government claims the judiciary is independent.


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