The first statement was made by Ekrem Imamoglu on extended indictment of the Istanbul prosecutor’s office, in which he is formally prosecuted for 142 offences and faces a possible sentence of up to 2 years in prison.352 years.

According to Haberler, he, now held in Silivri prison, said that “we have our head held high and our conscience clear” and called on the Grand National Assembly to allow live streaming of the sessions.

The investigation into the “corruption” cases involving Ekrem Imamoglu has concluded after 237 days with the Istanbul prosecutor’s office filing an indictment 3,809 pages.

Imamoglu, via a post made from his social media account, stressed: “Turkey’s Grand National Assembly must take action to ensure that the sessions are broadcast live on the screens of TRT and other channels. We have our heads held high and our conscience clear. We have nothing to answer for in this noble nation,” he said.

In his statement, he pointed out that the drafting of the indictment came after “237 days of an illegal investigation based on slander, trumped-up charges, unprecedented attacks and interference with justice”. As he argued, “the indictment is not limited to false accusations of corruption and bribery, but also targets the CHP, the party that founded our democracy. Shame on you. The document you drafted is full of lies extracted with threats and blackmail from people who were held hostage.”

In a sharp tone, Imamoglu challenged the authorities to make the proceedings public: “Do you have the courage? Broadcast the trial live so that the people can see your lies and slander! Trust the conscience of society, the nation’s sense of justice – just once. Are we guilty or those conducting this illegal investigation? Let the nation decide.”

In closing, he again appealed to Turkey’s Grand National Assembly to intervene.