Former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu Named Key Defendant in Corruption Trial

Key Takeaways

• THE FORMER MAYOR OF ISTANBUL EKREM IMAMOGLU IS DUE TO BECOME THE CENTRAL DEFENDANT IN A MASS CORRUPTION TRIAL THAT HIS OPPOSITION PARTY AND RIGHTS GROUPS SAY IS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED.
• THE FORMER MAYOR OF ISTANBUL EKREM IMAMOGLU IS DUE TO BECOME THE CENTRAL DEFENDANT IN A MASS CORRUPTION TRIAL THAT HIS OPPOSITION PARTY AND RIGHTS GROUPS SAY IS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED.REPORT HAS IT THAT IMAMOGLU FACES MORE THAN 140 CHARGES INCLUDING CORRUPTION AND RUNNING A CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION JUST AS PROSECUTORS ARE SEEKING A JAIL TERM OF UP TO 2,430 YEARS.HOWEVER, HE AND HIS REPUBLICAN PEOPLE'S PARTY (CHP) DENY ANY WRONGDOING JUST AS THEY ACCUSE TURKISH PRESIDENT RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN AND HIS ALLIES OF LAUNCHING A CRACKDOWN OVER THE LEADER'S DECLINE IN POPULARITY.PRIOR TO THE TRIAL, WHICH BEGINS TODAY, IMAMOGLU WAS WIDELY SEEN AS ONE OF THE FEW POLITICIANS CAPABLE OF DEFEATING ERDOGAN, WHO HAS BEEN AT THE TOP OF TURKISH POLITICS SINCE 2003.
• This story is filed under Foreign on Glow 99.1 FM.