Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu gives testimony in investigation of ‘threatening’ prosecutor

Ferhat Yaşar / DUVAR 

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on Jan. 31 has given his testimony and denied charges in an investigation launched on the grounds of “threatening” Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek and his family.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on Jan. 20 launched an investigation into Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu for allegedly “threatening” Gürlek and his family for saying “We will dismantle (this mindset) so that no one can (detain) your children from your house in the morning,” while addressing Gürlek and criticizing CHP youth branch head Cem Aydın’s detention.

Before İmamoğlu arrived at the courthouse in Istanbul’s Çağlayan, thousands of supporters gathered to throw their support behind İmamoğlu. 

Meanwhile, the police attacked the supporters with pepper spray.

In his testimony, İmamoğlu said his remarks were not “threatening” or “degrading” but rather within “the freedom of expression.”

“Since when is it considered a threat to share the injustices we have suffered with our nation, to criticize the irregularities, and to express that these practices harm 'trust in law'? Since when is it considered a threat to say, as a mayor of the largest party in the country, that in the order that will be established when we come to power, ‘there will be trust in the law, there will be trust in the judiciary, justice will come to the country and no one will be (detained) early in the morning by the police force?’,” he added.

After giving his testimony, İmamoğlu gave a speech to his supporters in front of the courthouse.

“All political parties are here today except the ruling party (AKP). They have come to support us for the defense of justice, for the establishment of justice. Today's issue is a matter of justice, a matter of seeking rights, today's issue is our future. We have been experiencing the highest level of judicial harassment in Istanbul for 4 months,” he said.

CHP’s Istanbul district mayors Ahmet Özer and Rıza Akpolat have been arrested in recent months in the new wave of the government’s crackdown on the opposition. 

Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş also attended the speech to show solidarity with İmamoğlu.

Yavaş said they would close down the Silivri prison in Istanbul, symbolized by politically motivated arrests, when they come to power. 

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