Latest news with #Imamoglu
Bloomberg
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Turkey Arrests Jailed Erdogan Rival's Lawyer, Widening Crackdown
A Turkish court arrested a lawyer of jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, intensifying a widespread crackdown on the opposition. The court in Istanbul ruled to formally arrest Mehmet Pehlivan pending trial on charges of membership in a 'crime ring' late Thursday. Pehlivan said his arrest is part of a 'judicial conspiracy' for defending Imamoglu, who's seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main challenger.
Muscat Daily
4 days ago
- Politics
- Muscat Daily
Jailed Istanbul mayor in court over prosecutor ‘threat'
Istanbul, Turkey – Ekrem Imamoglu, the imprisoned mayor of Istanbul and leading rival to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appeared in court on Monday on charges of threatening and insulting a top judicial official. Prosecutors have charged the 54-year-old mayor with threatening, insulting, and targeting a public official – serious allegations in Turkey's increasingly politicised judiciary. The case against Imamoglu The case centres on comments Imamoglu allegedly made about Istanbul's chief public prosecutor, Akin Gurlek, questioning his integrity. Imamoglu faces more than seven years in prison and a political ban for allegedly 'targeting, threatening and insulting persons working in the fight against terrorism'. Monday's hearing was held inside Istanbul's Silivri prison, where Imamoglu has been detained since late March after his arrest in a separate corruption investigation. That earlier case, which authorities claim involves financial misconduct, triggered Turkey's largest street protests in over a decade. Police arrested hundreds of people in response. The numerous cases could result in prison sentences and a political ban. When he took to the stand in April, Imamoglu denied all allegations and claimed he had been targeted because he plans to run against Erdogan in the 2028 presidential election, according to Turkish media at the time. In a statement to the prosecutor in January, he argued that he had simply been exercising his right to free speech. He said there was no threat or targeting in his remarks and described his comments as protected under freedom of expression. Speaking before the court, Imamoglu claimed he was subjected to 'psychological torture', along with other arrested party members. 'Today, all the opposition positions that displease the government and the will of tens of millions of people are being judged here,' Imamoglu declared as he represented himself before a judge in an Istanbul court. As the trial was taking place, a crowd gathered outside the prison. 'Turkey is proud of you,' chanted Imamoglu's supporters. 'There is no salvation alone: either all together, or no one,' they added. While unrelated to the corruption probe, the current trial adds to a growing list of legal cases facing Imamoglu – seen by many as the most formidable challenger to Erdogan's rule. Rights groups and opposition parties have condemned Imamoglu's detention as politically motivated, accusing the government of using the courts to suppress dissent ahead of key national elections. DW
DW
4 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Jailed Istanbul mayor in court over prosecutor 'threat' – DW – 06/16/2025
Istanbul's jailed mayor has appeared in court charged with threatening the city's public prosecutor. Ekrem Imamoglu — the leading political rival to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — faces several investigations. Ekrem Imamoglu, the imprisoned mayor of Istanbul and leading rival to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appeared in court Monday on charges of threatening and insulting a top judicial official. Prosecutors have charged the 54-year-old mayor with threatening, insulting, and targeting a public official — serious allegations in Turkey's increasingly politicized judiciary. What is the case against Imamoglu? The case centers on comments Imamoglu allegedly made about Istanbul's chief public prosecutor, Akin Gurlek, questioning his integrity. Imamoglu faces more than seven years in prison and a political ban for allegedly "targeting, threatening and insulting persons working in the fight against terrorism." Monday's hearing was held inside Istanbul's Silivri prison, where Imamoglu has been detained since late March after his arrest in a separate corruption investigation. That earlier case, which authorities claim involves financial misconduct, triggered Turkey's largest street protests in over a decade. Police arrested hundreds of people in response. The numerous cases could result in prison sentences and a political ban. When he took to the stand in April, Imamoglu denied all allegations and claimed he had been targeted because he plans to run against Erdogan in the 2028 presidential election, according to Turkish media at the time. Trial opens for nearly 200 detained during Istanbul protests To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In a statement to the prosecutor in January, he argued that he had simply been exercising his right to free speech. He said there was no threat or targeting in his remarks and described his comments as protected under freedom of expression. What did Imamoglu tell the court? Speaking before the court, Imamoglu claimed he was subjected to "psychological torture," along with other arrested party members. "Today, all the opposition positions that displease the government and the will of tens of millions of people are being judged here," Imamoglu declared as he represented himself before a judge in an Istanbul court. As the trial was taking place, a crowd gathered outside the prison. "Turkey is proud of you," chanted Imamoglu's supporters. "There is no salvation alone: either all together, or no one," they added. While unrelated to the corruption probe, the current trial adds to a growing list of legal cases facing Imamoglu — seen by many as the most formidable challenger to Erdogan's rule. Rights groups and opposition parties have condemned Imamoglu's detention as politically motivated, accusing the government of using the courts to suppress dissent ahead of key national elections. Edited by: Zac Crellin
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Istanbul mayor on trial for 'threatening' prosecutor
Istanbul's jailed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the leading opponent of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appeared in court Monday on charges of threatening the city's public prosecutor. The case is one of a number of investigations targeting Imamoglu, but is not connected to the graft probe that led to his arrest in March, which sparked Turkey's worst street protests in over a decade. Imamoglu, 54, is on trial over remarks he made, allegedly questioning the integrity of Istanbul's chief public prosecutor, Akin Gurlek. He faces charges of "threatening" and "insulting a public official" and "targeting" an individual involved in counter-terror efforts, according to MLSA, the Turkish rights group whose lawyers are defending him. Monday's hearing, which took place at Silivri prison on the western outskirts of Istanbul where Imamoglu has been held since March, was very brief with the judge adjourning the proceedings until July 16, MLSA said on X. The prosecutor called for Imamoglu to face up to seven years and four months behind bars, with a minimum jail term, and be subjected to a political ban, the BirGun online news site reported. It said CHP head Ozgur Ozel and other party members were also at the hearing to support the mayor. "A state governed by the rule of law should be based on justice. No citizen should be afraid while seeking justice. A person should feel threatened not when they express their opinion but when they are forced to remain silent," Imamoglu told the court in a transcript of his remarks published by BirGun. "I am not the one on trial here today; every opposition stance that the government does not like, every democratic gain and the will of the people are being tried here today," he said. - 'Freedom of expression' - A first hearing took place in Silivri on April 11 when the mayor denied all the allegations and said he had been "targeted" because of his plans to challenge Erdogan in the 2028 presidential election, his remarks reported by Turkish media. Questioned by the prosecutor in January, he said he was simply exercising his right to free speech. "There was no threat or targeting in my words. What I said was freedom of expression.. (which) is a constitutional right... (that) includes the right to criticise judicial authorities and the way they function," he said. Last Thursday, Imamoglu was also summoned to the first hearing in another case regarding remarks he made about a court-appointed expert witness involved in cases against municipalities run by his Republican People's Party (CHP), in which he is accused of attempting to influence a fair trial. His office said he and his legal team boycotted that hearing because it was "unlawfully moved to Silivri" rather than taking place at a court in the city centre. Imamoglu, who was elected Istanbul mayor in 2019 and re-elected in 2024, was arrested on March 19 in connection with a graft probe and allegations of terror ties. The string of charges against him could prevent him taking part in the 2028 presidential race. His arrest sparked demonstrations across the country in the worst street unrest since the 2013 Gezi Park protests, which spread across Turkey and were brutally suppressed by police. rba/fo-hmw/yad
Euronews
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Istanbul mayor boycotts court hearing in expert witness case
Istanbul's jailed opposition Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and his legal team have boycotted a court hearing on Thursday after they claimed that a late change in venue for the proceedings was 'unlawful'. The case, one of many criminal allegations Imamoglu is facing, was over comments the Istanbul mayor made on an expert witness, over the prosecution of other officials from his Republican People's Party, or CHP. In a statement, the CHP said neither Imamoglu nor his legal team would attend Thursday's hearing due to a change in venue through 'unlawful procedures.' Imamoglu, in a post from jail, described the hearing as 'irregular' and said it 'does not comply with the principles of the trial. I refuse to be a part of such a process and therefore I will not attend this hearing.' CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Ozgur Celik posted on X that the mayor's hearing had been moved from Caglayan courthouse in central Istanbul, to Silivri prison – where Imamoglu is being held – in western Istanbul, only 24 hours earlier. Imamoglu was arrested in almost three months ago, alongside other prominent political figures. His home was raided early morning on 19 March, as part of an investigation into alleged corruption and links to terror organisations. His arrest triggered weeks of nationwide protests calling for his release. Protesters believe Imamoglu, seen by many as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival in the next presidential elections, was arrested for political reasons. The protests, which often turned violent, results in hundreds of arrests, many of whom are also on trial for 'inciting violence'. The demonstrations were the biggest Turkey has seen in over a decade. A conviction in any of the cases Imamoglu is facing could see the Istanbul mayor banned from holding or running for public office. Prosecutors have requested a prison sentence of two to four years and a political ban on charges of 'attempting to influence' an expert witness in the case. The hearing was adjourned to 26 September. Emerging priorities such as defence and competitiveness are increasingly drawing resources away from other sectors, raising concerns that health – a key focus of the previous EU mandate – may pay the highest price in the upcoming long-term EU budget. The European Commission is expected to unveil its proposal for the next seven-year budget in July. However, early leaks and mounting speculation suggest that the dedicated health fund could be merged with broader funding instruments, or potentially scrapped altogether. Although health policy is primarily the responsibility of national governments, EU member states allocated €5.3 billion for health through the EU4Health programme in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This marked the first time a standalone health budget was created at the EU level. Prior to this, EU health initiatives operated with much smaller resources: The health programme for 2014–2020 had a total budget of just €450 million, significantly less than EU4Health. Since its launch, EU4Health has financed a range of initiatives, such as a recent €1.3 million project to address the nursing shortage across Europe by promoting the profession in countries most affected. Yet many fear that the programme will not survive the next programming cycle. Even some EU officials have hinted that EU4Health may have been a one-time measure. Lawmakers have raised alarms about the potential disappearance of EU4Health and its impact on flagship initiatives from the previous term, such as the Beating Cancer Plan. Croatian MEP Tomislav Sokol pointed out the importance of maintaining a dedicated health budget since health has become one of the most important topics in the EU after the pandemic. For this reason, the EU has opted to create a separate health programme within the bloc's budget to support initiatives like the EU health data space and the European reference networks. 'If we're not able to protect this, I'm afraid this will all be diluted and absorbed by some other big funds in the budget, and we will lose this focus on healthcare that we have now,' he told Euronews. Sokol also cited newer priorities like the Critical Medicines Act, arguing that they, too, will require substantial EU funding. "Of course, healthcare remains largely a national responsibility, but EU support is needed to create a level playing field across member states," he added. Concerns over future health investment stem in part from recent budget reallocations. In February 2024, approximately €1 billion was redirected from EU4Health to help finance an aid package for Ukraine. The looming cuts are causing anxiety in the health sector. The PHSSR – a coalition of academics, policymakers, and politicians working on sustainable health systems – highlighted the need for continued investment in a recent report ahead of the Commission's proposal. In an interview with Euronews, AstraZeneca senior vice-president Greg Rossi, who participated in the PHSSR, stressed that Europe risks falling behind in life sciences. "We're seeing massive innovation and opportunity in improving health outcomes. My area, cancer, has seen extraordinary advances in the last 10 to 15 years. But Europe is losing ground," he said, adding that research and development funding has declined, with clinical trials increasingly moving out of Europe. He warned that, without specific health investment initiatives like a dedicated EU health funding, access to innovation will worsen, health outcomes will deteriorate, and Europe's competitive edge will erode. 'Health is an investment to be made, not a cost to be managed. And if we do so, we'll improve the health and the wealth of our countries,' he said. The European Commission is preparing a comprehensive overhaul of the its long-term budget, also known as Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) post-2027. The aim is to make it simpler, more effective, and more aligned with evolving policy priorities. Currently, the MFF stands at around €1.2 trillion – roughly 1% of the EU's GDP. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is considering a major restructuring of the MFF for 2028–2034, possibly moving away from the current system of over 50 EU-level programmes. Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin previously indicated that the next budget proposal will focus on "fewer, more focused programmes" and a more strategic, ambitious framework. The European Commission's proposal, expected in mid-July, will offer the first concrete signal of what lies ahead for health funding in the EU.
