Paul Kirby
European Digital Editor
EPA-EFE/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
Imamoguru supporters gathered outside the Silibri prison complex
Mayor Iklem Imamogur, his biggest rival to Turkish President Receptacle Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested last month and made his appearance in court for the first time since he was placed in a high-class prison.
Imamoguru is in custody on charges of corruption and terrorism, but appeared at the special court at Silibri Prison on Friday in another case accused of attempting to blackmail the chief prosecutor in Istanbul.
Turkey’s opposition has denounced Imamogul’s arrest as “an attempted coup against our next president,” and his detention has prompted the largest anti-Erdogan protest in more than a decade.
“I won three elections in Istanbul, so I’m here,” Imamoguru told the court.
“I’m arrested here because I won the concept of ‘someone who wins Istanbul, who wins Turkey’,” he added.
Imamogul was referring to President Erdogan. President Erdogan launched his political career as Turkey’s biggest city mayor and has often used the phrase ever since.
The crowd gathered outside the complex to support the mayor of Istanbul. The mayor of Istanbul is widely regarded as politically motivated by detention. The European Parliament’s parliamentary assembly is asking Turkish authorities to withdraw the charges and release them immediately.
However, the Turkish government has rejected claims of political interference and has argued that the judiciary is independent.
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Dilek Imamoglu has played a prominent role in the protests since her husband’s arrest
The 53-year-old mayor faced two hearings on Friday that risked sentences and political bans.
After the district mayor’s arrest, the first lawsuit alleging threats against Istanbul’s chief prosecutor Akin Grek, was postponed until June.
Grek, Erdogan’s former deputy minister of justice, has been criticized for opposition that the president acted as a “mobile guillotine” in targeting Istanbul’s enemies.
Neither lawsuit Friday was linked to the March 19 arrest for running a criminal gang and suspected of fear tor, but prosecutors are seeking a sentence of up to seven years and four months for the Garek case.
Imamoguru was also critical of TRT’s broadcasting station in the Turkish province, saying that he was funded by citizen taxes and “I should broadcast this hearing rather than reporting with lies and slander to trust me.”
His wife, Direk, attended the hearing with one of his children and several lawmakers.
She has played a prominent role in the protests that have swept the turkey since Imamoguru’s arrest, with more rally planned for the coming days and weeks.
The protest was accompanied by arrests of around 2,000 people.
For the past two days, Istanbul courts have released or released 185 people who participated in demonstrations against the mayor’s detention in Istanbul’s Sarachan Square.
Two journalists working for Pro-Opposition’s newspapers were also released on bail Friday to investigate the TV station’s sales.
Cumhuriyet, one of the newspapers, said their arrests were part of a plan that threatens the government’s media and critics.
Opposition parties accused prosecutors of targeting elected officials to negate opposition prior to the national election.
The presidential election is not scheduled in Turkey until 2028, and without a change to the constitution, Erdogan has no right to support another term of office.
But if Congress called for an early election, he could run again.
