Constantinople mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, denounced harassment by the judiciary against him, speaking from the roof of a bus to thousands of people who had gathered to support him outside a city court.

“In Constantinople we are suffering harassment from the judiciary at the highest level, but we are not giving up and we will not give up. We will continue to fight against injustice!” said Imamoglu, who along with Ankara mayor Mansour Yavas, also from the CHP, is considered a key opponent of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Yavas, who was in Constantinople, made similar complaints, saying the authorities want to “turn Turkey into an open prison.”

Called to testify for criticism of the attorney general

Imamoglu is the target of several judicial investigations. Today he was called to testify before a prosecutor for his criticism of the prosecutor general of Constantinople and an expert who has been tasked with several investigations against CHP-controlled municipalities.

The mayor of Constantinople defended himself against the accusation of threatening the two individuals and trying to influence the course of justice. As he said in his statements given to the Agence France-Presse, he exercised his right to freedom of expression.

“I will not succumb to threats”

“I will not succumb to these threats,” he said, denouncing a judiciary that is trying to “intimidate him” through “politically motivated investigations.”

Addressing the crowd in front of the Kaglayan Courthouse on the European side of Constantinople, after appearing before the prosecutor, Imamoglu denounced a “conspiracy” against him.

“The ruling party wants to take revenge by removing Imamoglu from the political scene. They are still under the shock of losing Constantinople in the last two elections. But that will not stop us,” a supporter of the Istanbul mayor, 48-year-old Ferdi Demirtas, told AFP in front of the court.

Eleven elected officials, including two mayors of the CHP’s Constantinople districts and eight mayors of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), have been deposed since local elections in March 2024, while a series of arrests have recently targeted journalists and artists.