Turkish president sues opposition Leader, Istanbul mayor

ISTANBUL,— Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched lawsuits on Friday against two of his most prominent political opponents: Ozgur Ozel, the head of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), and Ekrem Imamoglu, the popular mayor of Istanbul.

The accusations hinge on alleged slander, marking another intense chapter in Erdogan’s long-standing efforts to curb dissent.

The suits, filed in Turkish courts, accuse Ozel and Imamoglu of publicly defaming the president, potentially setting them up for prosecution under Article 299 of Turkey’s penal code.

This law, often invoked by Erdogan’s administration, criminalizes insults against the president and carries a potential prison sentence of up to four years. It has frequently been used to target opposition politicians, journalists, activists, and even regular citizens.

Citing court records, state-run Anadolu Agency reported that Ozel’s comments constituted “public insult” and represented a “direct attack” on the presidency’s dignity.

Imamoglu’s alleged offense involves what the lawsuit claims were “baseless accusations” designed to damage Erdogan’s public image, with each suit seeking one million Turkish lira (around $30,000) in damages.

The dispute stems from remarks made by Ozel and Imamoglu during a Thursday demonstration in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district, where they criticized the recent arrest of the district’s mayor for alleged ties to the outlawed Kurdish PKK militant group.

Though it remains unclear which specific remarks sparked the legal response, Ozel did not hesitate to counter. He accused Erdogan of portraying himself as a victim while enforcing policies that, in his view, amount to persecution of political opponents.

Imamoglu, who has held office as Istanbul’s mayor since 2019, has emerged as one of Erdogan’s key political challengers, with many speculating that he may run in the 2028 presidential race.

Previously, Imamoglu faced a separate defamation suit after calling Istanbul election officials “idiots” over election irregularities in 2019.

That case resulted in a two-and-a-half-year sentence, effectively sidelining him from national politics and drawing international criticism. Though Imamoglu has appealed, the conviction cast a shadow over his potential candidacy in the 2023 election.

Erdogan, now 70, has a political history rooted in Istanbul, where he himself first gained prominence as mayor in the 1990s.

The latest legal offensive underscores his continued reliance on the judiciary to challenge rivals, even as he faces mounting pressure to amend the constitution to secure his eligibility for another term in 2028.

(With files from AFP)