Turkish prosecutor says Erdogan rival should be convicted, banned from politics

A Turkish prosecutor requested on Friday that a court convict and impose a political ban on Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a popular rival of President Tayyip Erdogan, for insulting public officials, but the case was adjourned to December. The court adjourned the case to evaluate the defence lawyer's request that the judge be recused.

A Turkish prosecutor requested on Friday that a court convict and impose a political ban on Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a popular rival of President Tayyip Erdogan, for insulting public officials, but the case was adjourned to December. Imamoglu is on trial for a speech he made in 2019 about mayoral elections that were annulled that year, in which he said those who made the decision to repeat the elections were "fools."

Opinion polls indicate Imamoglu would be a strong challenger to Erdogan if he were to run in next year's national elections. The court adjourned the case to evaluate the defence lawyer's request that the judge be recused. It set the next hearing for Dec. 14. The crime of which Imamoglu is accused carries a maximum prison sentence of four years.