Turkish prosecutors have initiated an investigation against the leader of the country’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), accusing him of making threats and insulting the chief prosecutor of Istanbul. The case is part of a wider clampdown targeting opposition figures in the country.
The clampdown is centred on Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who is President Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival and leads him in some polls.
No general election is scheduled until 2028, but if Erdogan is to run again, parliament would need to back an earlier election since the president will have reached his limit by that date.
The CHP’s Imamoglu was jailed in March pending trial on corruption charges, which he denies. He was detained on corruption charges in what protesters, opposition parties, European leaders and rights groups called a politicised and anti-democratic move.
CHP had called for a boycott of goods and services from companies with perceived ties to Erdogan’s government.
Probe Into Ozgur Ozel
The Istanbul prosecutor’s office said in a statement that it launched the probe into CHP leader Ozgur Ozel over comments he made about the chief prosecutor at a rally in Istanbul on Wednesday, criticising the targeting of the opposition.
The opposition parties have increasingly accused the government of using judicial institutions to silence dissent.
Turkish authorities have not yet provided details on the timeline or process of the legal proceedings.
CHP spokesman Deniz Yucel criticised the decision to open the investigation.
“We will not succumb to this system of lawlessness that you have created,” he said on X.
Imamoglu’s arrest in March triggered mass protests, economic turmoil and broad accusations of government influence over the judiciary and anti-democratic applications. The government denies the accusations and says the judiciary is independent.
Since his arrest, authorities have detained dozens of CHP members, officials from the Istanbul municipality, and other CHP-run municipalities. Access to Imamoglu’s X account was also blocked in Turkey this month.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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