İstanbul mayor probed for 'walking with hands folded behind back at tomb of Ottoman Sultan'

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İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is revealed to be under investigation over his visits to the tomb of Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror and mayors from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

Cumhuriyet columnist Barış Pehlivan first reported on the investigation in his article today (May 4). Later, İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Spokesperson Murat Ongun and the Ministry of Interior confirmed the news.

The Ministry of Interior started an investigation for "disrespect" because İmamoğlu walked in the tomb of Sultan Mehmet with his hands folded behind the back during a visit to the tomb last year on the occasion of the anniversary of İstanbul's conquest, Pehlivan wrote.

The ministry assigned a civil inspector and İmamoğlu's written statement was requested as part of the investigation, wrote the columnist.

IMM Spokesperson Ongun confirmed the news on Twitter, saying that the investigation was "based on reading intentions" and "lacked reasoning."

Later, Ministry of Interior Spokesperson İsmail Çataklı said the investigation was opened by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and the ministry carried out the necessary procedures.

Prosecutors are investigating the mayor for "praising the crime and the criminal" over his visits to HDP mayors and "disrespecting Sultan Mehmet's tomb."

"Just as we have to carry out routine things for procedures coming from chief public prosecutor's offices, this process is also running," said Çataklı.

In August 2019, İmamoğlu visited HDP mayors in Diyarbakır and expressed solidarity with them after they were replaced with government-appointed trustees because of "terrorism-related" investigations against them. (HA/VK)