Turkish Mayor Faces 2,000-Year Sentence Amid Political Turmoil

Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul's opposition mayor, faces a 2,000-year sentence for allegedly leading a corruption network harming Turkey billions of lira. Prosecutors seek to shut down the opposition CHP, claiming their illicit financing. The allegations are dismissed as politically motivated by Imamoglu and his allies.

In a dramatic escalation of Turkey's political tensions, prosecutors demanded a staggering 2,000-year prison sentence for Ekrem Imamoglu, the opposition mayor of Istanbul. Accused of orchestrating a massive corruption ring, Imamoglu is alleged to have cost the state billions in damages.

The case has intensified scrutiny on President Tayyip Erdogan's administration, with prosecutors also pushing for the closure of Imamoglu's Republican People's Party (CHP). The indictment lists 402 suspects, charging them with bribery, fraud, and forming a criminal organization, allegedly causing 160 billion lira in losses over a decade.

Despite the charges, Imamoglu and his supporters, including CHP's Istanbul head Ozgur Celik, have denounced the accusations as a political ploy to hinder his presidential ambitions. As the mayor appeals his separate conviction for insulting a city official, Erdogan's government insists the judiciary remains independent.

(With inputs from agencies.)