Turkish Court Targets Opposition Leader: A 2,000-Year Sentence Looms

Turkish prosecutor seeks over 2,000 years' imprisonment for Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, alleging a massive corruption scandal. The indictment accuses 402 people in a criminal network causing $3.8 billion in state losses. The opposition labels these accusations politically motivated, furthering Turkey's legal crackdown on Erdogan's critics.

In a dramatic legal development, a Turkish prosecutor has demanded a staggering prison sentence exceeding 2,000 years for Ekrem Imamoglu, the imprisoned opposition mayor of Istanbul. The allegations accuse Imamoglu of orchestrating a vast corruption network that allegedly cost the state billions of lira, according to an indictment reviewed by Reuters. The move, viewed as part of a broader crackdown on dissent against President Tayyip Erdogan, has been dismissed by Imamoglu's party as a politically motivated ploy.

Amidst heightened tensions, the Istanbul prosecutor has urged a higher court to consider dissolving Imamoglu's Republican People's Party (CHP), further escalating the crackdown. Chief Prosecutor Akin Gurlek detailed the extensive charges against Imamoglu and 401 others, citing offences like bribery and fraud, with claims of state losses reaching 160 billion lira over a decade. The indictment features detailed evidence, including an alleged organisational chart positioning Imamoglu at the helm of the operation.

While the allegations have yet to be independently corroborated, the latest actions underscore a deepening political crisis in Turkey, with critics highlighting the implications for judicial independence and democratic processes. The potential appointment of a government trustee to Istanbul's administration signals a shift that could dramatically alter the city's political landscape, amplifying existing polarisation in Turkey's political scene.

(With inputs from agencies.)