President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has filed a 1 million lira (~36,000 US dollars) lawsuit against İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, accusing him of defamation.
The lawsuit follows İmamoğlu’s comments criticizing the government for the recent arrest of the mayor of İstanbul’s Esenyurt district on “terrorism” charges and replacement with a government-appointed trustee.
Esenyurt mayor replaced by trustee, says investigation ‘politically motivated’
According to the complaint, submitted by Erdoğan's attorney Ahmet Özel to the Anadolu Civil Court of First Instance, İmamoğlu allegedly used “false and defamatory accusations” targeting the president.
During his speech at an Oct 31 rally organized to protest the takeover of the Esenyurt Municipality, İmamoğlu accused the government of “pursuing another dark move” and questioned whether there was “a stick of intimidation” aimed at imprisoning elected officials who do not align with the ruling party. He also implied that Erdoğan manipulated the judicial process for political gains, stating that the arrest was based on “fabricated reasons” and aimed at appointing a government trustee over Esenyurt. The president had expressed support for the mayor’s arrest, claiming that “terrorists were wreaking havoc in Esenyurt.”
Thousands protest opposition municipality's takeover in İstanbul
In response, Erdoğan’s attorney argued that such statements damaged the president’s reputation and incited hostility, claiming İmamoğlu was attempting to turn the public against Erdoğan. The petition emphasized Erdoğan’s status as “a leader elected through successive democratic elections who is widely respected by the public.”
The complaint also included video footage of the speech and asserted that İmamoğlu’s language, describing Erdoğan as “wielding a stick,” was provocative and crossed the line of respectful political discourse.
The complaint also detailed Erdoğan’s perspective on the arrest of Özer on allegations of membership in the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), citing the investigation, which alleged that Özer had maintained constant communication with PKK executives.
Erdoğan’s legal team requested that the court award 1 million liras in damages, to be paid with interest from the date of the incident, Oct 31, 2024, along with court costs and attorney fees.
Background
Ahmet Özer, mayor of İstanbul's Esenyurt district and a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), was detained in a raid on his home on Oct 30. Later that day, a court remanded him in custody on charge of “membership in a terrorist organization,” citing alleged links to the PKK. The following morning, Özer was suspended from his post, and a government-appointed trustee was installed in his place.
The CHP and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, which endorsed Özer in the elections, sharply criticized his arrest, calling it an assault on the public’s democratic will. On Oct 31, a rally was held in Esenyurt with thousands in attendance, where CHP and DEM leaders, along with İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, delivered speeches condemning the removal.
Opposition parties have labeled the government’s actions hypocritical, given recent hints from the administration about potentially renewing peace negotiations with the Kurdish community.
An ethnic Kurd and a prominent academic, Özer has held various high-level academic positions over the years. In the local elections in March, he ran as the CHP candidate and with DEM’s support, he won in a landslide, garnering nearly half of the vote.
Who is Ahmet Özer, the arrested mayor of İstanbul's Esenyurt district?
The practice of removing elected mayors from pro-Kurdish parties over alleged terrorism charges and replacing them with trustees has been common between 2016 and 2024. However, Özer’s arrest marks the first instance of such action being taken against a member of the main opposition CHP. (VK)
