Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu on Friday defended remarks that have landed him charges of threatening public officials and trying to influence the judiciary.
“My statements did not include any threats or pointing someone as a target. I reject all accusations,” Imamoğlu told reporters outside the Çağlayan courthouse in Istanbul after giving his testimony in two separate investigations.
The mayor testified before prosecutors for two hours regarding charges of threatening, insulting and targeting a person tasked with countering terrorism and attempting to influence a fair trial.
The mayor, seen as a likely future presidential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is being probed for accusing a court expert of serving as a political tool to oppress the opposition, as well as remarks appearing to threaten Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor and his family.
Imamoğlu arrived early in the morning at the courthouse, passing by thousands of supporters of the main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), to which he belongs.
Imamoğlu later addressed the crowds from the top of a CHP bus.
“Since when has sharing the injustices we suffer, criticizing irregularities and stating that these practices harm the law been considered a threat?” Imamoğlu said. “I did not say anything that could harm anyone or their relatives,” he insisted.
Earlier this week, Imamoğlu claimed the same expert witness had been appointed for several judicial probes into him and other district municipalities in Istanbul run by the CHP.
“The man is bold enough to fool the courts,” Imamoğlu had said, naming the expert specifically and prompting the authorities to launch legal action.
Last week, the mayor made “statements qualifying as threats” against Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor Akın Gürlek’s family after the arrest of Rıza Akpolat, the CHP mayor for the city’s Beşiktaş district, on charges of corruption.
The CHP has singled out the prosecutor for acting as a “guillotine” for Erdoğan following Akpolat’s arrest.
The government dismisses accusations of political interference in the cases and says the judiciary is independent.
Akpolat and other suspects were detained in early January as part of an investigation into rigging allegations involving the municipality, companies run by municipalities and a businessperson awarded lucrative contracts in Beşiktaş on Istanbul’s European side.
Imamoğlu has already been convicted of charges of insulting members of Türkiye's Supreme Electoral Council and faces a political ban if his conviction in 2022 is upheld by a high court. He is also on trial on charges that he was involved in the alleged rigging of bids in a tender dating back to 2015.
Imamoglu, 53, was first elected to lead Istanbul in March 2019 and re-elected last year when Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) saw voter support dive in previous strongholds.
Last week, Erdoğan hit out at the CHP, warning they “cannot make threats on live television.”
“Nobody can threaten judicial members, put pressure on the courts or wag their fingers at our judicial committee for pursuing unlawfulness with the authority granted by law,” Erdoğan said.
Imamoğlu on Friday also repeated the CHP’s call for early elections.
CHP Chair Özgür Özel on Tuesday said the party was ready to name its presidential candidate in the coming months and announced some 1.6 million CHP members would choose the candidate in an internal vote.
The party has been campaigning for an early election since last year, despite the vote not being scheduled until 2028.
No political party has officially announced its presidential candidate. However, on Jan. 14, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesperson said that Erdoğan's candidacy in the upcoming elections is on their agenda. He stated that if the public wants to see him, Erdoğan may run again.
