Investigation launched against Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu for ‘insulting public prosecutor’
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu (Collage prepared by Türkiye Today team)
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is under investigation following comments he made about Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akin Gurlek during televized remarks on Monday.
Gurlek is a major public prosecutor that involved in high-profile cases including the ones main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP ) label ‘politically motivated.’
Imamoglu had stated, “Look, Attorney General, I am telling you, we will uproot the mind that governs you from the minds of this nation in order to save even your children from this rotten mentality and treatment.”
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched the investigation on charges of “threat” and “targeting individuals involved in counterterrorism efforts.”
Imamoglu commented after the investigation being launched:
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor has launched an investigation against me for allegedly threatening him and his family. There is not a word of threat in my speech. I have never and will not threaten anyone over their family and children. Every word I used was a demand for impartial justice for everyone’s children and future in this country. I stand by my word. Justice for all, all the time. I refer the Attorney General to God and the conscience of the nation for making a threat allegation.
The Minister of Justice, Yilmaz Tunc, took to X commenting on the matter:
Threatening statements that openly target our members of the judiciary and are intended to influence the judicial process regarding the judicial investigations conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office are completely unacceptable.
The Republic of Türkiye is a State governed by the rule of law.
…
Until an investigation or prosecution is concluded with a final verdict, attempting to influence a fair trial by making public oral or written statements in order to influence prosecutors, judges and courts is incompatible with the rule of law and is a crime according to the Turkish Penal Code…
CHP’s youth branch head detained
Seperately, Cem Aydin, the president of the CHP youth branch has been detained and brought to the Caglayan Courthouse in Istanbul.
His detention is reportedly linked to a tweet he posted about Akin Gurlek, the Istanbul chief public prosecutor.
Aydin is facing charges of “insulting a public official” and “targeting individuals involved in the fight against terrorism.”
