Court once again acquits Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu in 'insulting public official' case

A Turkish court has acquitted Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu of charges of “publicly insulting a public official” for the second time regarding his remarks on Tuzla Mayor Şadi Yazıcı from the AKP.

Friday December 15 2023 09:24 pm

Duvar English

An Istanbul court has acquitted Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), of charges of “publicly insulting a public official” for the second time for his remarks on Istanbul’s Tuzla district Mayor Şadi Yazıcı during his speech at the opening of a treatment plant in the district in 2022.

Yazıcı and his lawyers previously objected to the first acquittal decision made in September and requested a retrial.

In the retrial, Yazıcı’s lawyer argued that İmamoğlu “committed more than one crime” against Tuzla mayor, and his remarks were “insulting and beyond political criticism.”

The prosecutor demanded İmamoğlu be punished over “publicly insulting a public official.”

Anatolian 16th Criminal Court of First Instance once again acquitted İmamoğlu, saying he did not commit the crime in question.

İmamoğlu was quoted saying, “That friend (Tuzla Mayor) came here to cause disturbance. He continues provocations without courtesy, a bad word belongs to its owner” during an opening ceremony.

Last year, İmamoğlu received a verdict of two years and seven months in prison, along with a political ban on charges of “insulting” 11 members of Turkey's Supreme Election Council (YSK).