Turkish President Erdoğan dismisses opposition mayor’s trial, comments on CHP turmoil

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said İmamoğlu's potential political ban was "not his concern," adding that tensions between CHP's new and former leadership reflected internal disputes. He had previously called CHP's 2023 congress "shady," leading to an investigation.

Friday February 14 2025 05:04 pm

Duvar English

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Feb. 14 stated that the opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu's potential political ban was of "no concern" to him while answering journalists' questions on his return flight from visits to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan.

Regarding İmamoğlu's trial seeking a "political ban", Erdoğan reminded that he was sentenced to prison when he was the mayor of Istanbul.

"Let’s not forget, when Tayyip Erdoğan was a mayor, he was sentenced to 10 months and served 4 months and 10 days in prison."

Criticizing the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), the President said that the party administration would reveal themselves as "novices" in this matter.

Meanwhile, CHP’s mayors are fighting amongst themselves. Neither I nor my colleagues have any issues with this matter. We are focused on our work, our investments, and maintaining the vibrant structure within our party."

In response to a question about the CHP's alleged irregularities during its 2023 congress where new leadership was elected, Erdoğan once again said that he was not "interested" in the issue.

"If I, as a political party leader or President, engage with these matters or let them occupy my agenda, it would belittle me. I cannot accept such a thing," he said.

Claiming that the allegations revealed the conflict between the CHP’s new and former leadership.

"Let me clearly state that these are entirely judicial matters. Whatever the judiciary decides, we will see it in their ruling," he concluded.

It was revealed that the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation into the CHP's Nov. 2023 party congress in Jan. 2024.

President Erdoğan had called the party congress in question “shady,” claiming that Özgür Özel’s victory in the congress was controversial.

After Kılıçdaroğlu lost the presidential race to Erdoğan in May 2023, he also lost the party leadership to “revisionist” Özgür Özel in November 2023. His defeat came after calls for a change within the party, initiated by Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu from the CHP.