site.btaMassive Rally Held in Istanbul as Suspended Mayor Imamoglu Faces New Espionage Investigation

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in front of the Caglayan Justice Palace in Istanbul on Sunday in support of the suspended mayor of Turkish metropolis, Ekrem Imamoglu, who was brought from Silivri prison to testify before a prosecutor in a new espionage investigation, according to the Anka News Agency.

The demonstrators gathered despite a ban by the Istanbul Governor’s Office on holding rallies, marches, assemblies, sit-ins, media statements, and other public events in the Beyoglu, Kasimpasa, Kagithane, and Sisli districts until the end of the day, Turkish state broadcaster TRT Haber reported.

The official statement from the Governor’s Office said that “it has been established that various groups are preparing for illegal gatherings, marches, protests, and similar actions in certain areas of Istanbul, which have the potential to disrupt public peace and welfare and to lead to provocative initiatives.”

Despite the ban, crowds had been gathering since the morning in front of the Caglayan Justice Palace, where, at midday, the former Istanbul mayor, arrested for corruption and held in Silivri prison, was brought to testify in court over a new espionage investigation, Habertler reported.

Security measures across the area were significantly strengthened, with thousands of police officers on duty, the perimeter fenced with multiple rows of barriers, and vehicles for dispersing tear gas and water positioned nearby.

Upon learning that Imamoglu would appear in court on Sunday to testify in the new investigation, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel, cut short his visit to Switzerland and returned to Istanbul. By decision of the party’s central leadership, a protest was called in front of Caglayan, with CHP members and supporters from various districts rallying in support of Imamoglu.

“The new espionage charges against Imamoglu are an admission of the failure of the previous ones. They accused him of corruption, and it backfired; they said he was involved in terrorism, and it backfired. Now they are calling it espionage. This is an admission. The chief prosecutor says I am desperate — I am desperate,” Ozel said, as quoted by the pro-opposition newspaper Sozcu.

A few days ago, Istanbul’s Chief Republican Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation against Ekrem Imamoglu as well as the editor-in-chief of pro-opposition TV channel Tele1 and Imamoglu’s campaign director Nejati Ozkan and journalist Merdan Yanardag from the same station, on charges of espionage.

According to the pro-government newspaper Sabah, the espionage investigation against Imamoglu is based on testimony and digital materials belonging to the suspect Huseyin Gun, who was arrested on July 4 on espionage charges.

As part of the investigation, the court appointed a trustee to oversee Tele1.

Since March 19, Imamoglu has been in Silivri prison on charges of corruption and illegal transactions during his tenure as mayor. Alongside him, dozens of mayors and municipal officials from the CHP are also in detention.