ALBAWABA - Ekrem Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure and imprisoned mayor of Istanbul, is facing a fresh criminal investigation from Turkish authorities alleging that he falsified his university degree.
Members of the opposition-led municipalities are the target of a growing statewide crackdown, and the most recent charge carries a maximum term of nine years in prison.
Prosecutors filed the accusation on Friday, asking for an 8-year, 9-month term for Imamoglu, a prominent member of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and a possible candidate in Turkey's next presidential election, according to the Turkish daily Milliyet. Imamoglu and his party adamantly dispute the accusations that he falsified academic records, which are at the heart of the investigation.
Imamoglu was arrested the next day on suspicion of corruption after Istanbul University revoked his degree in March. Widespread protests and charges of political persecution followed his detention. Imamoglu was ordered to stay in jail until his trial by a court on March 23. The administration disputes the CHP's assertion that the judicial cases are being planned to destroy political rivals of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, arguing that they are legitimate and non-political.
Police detained the mayor of Manavgat, a town in the southern Antalya province, who is also connected to the CHP, on Friday as part of a separate investigation. The arrest is a part of a larger investigation into allegations of corruption and bribery involving the municipality, according to Turkey's state television TRT. 33 other people, including multiple deputy mayors, have been arrested by authorities in relation to the investigation.
In the western city of İzmir, police conducted a significant anti-corruption operation this week, raiding municipal offices and detaining both current and former officials. On the basis of claims of contract violations, bid manipulation, and fraud in public projects, prosecutors issued 157 arrest warrants.
Concerns over the fairness of Turkey's judiciary and the possible use of legal means to marginalize political rivals in advance of the country's next elections are raised by the expanding probes into opposition-led municipalities at a politically delicate moment.
