Ex officio investigation against CHP's Kaftancıoğlu for 'insulting president'

İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Kaftancıoğlu

The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an ex officio investigation against Canan Kaftancıoğlu, the İstanbul provincial chair of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), for "insulting the president."

The investigation concerns Kaftancıoğlu's remarks on Friday (August 12) when she addressed the youth branch chairs of his party in İstanbul.

"We will send a dictator from this country by means of democracy," she remarked during the event.

Meanwhile, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's lawyers also filed a criminal complaint against Kaftancıoğlu for speech, alleging that she insulted him and violated his personal rights.

Kaftancıoğlu was in May sentenced to 4 years and 11 months in prison for "insulting a public official" and "openly degrading the state of the Republic of Türkiye" and "insulting the president" because of her social media posts from years ago.

She was also banned from politics due to the crimes she was found guilt of and her CHP membership was formally dropped. However, the party has refused to formally replace her. (VK)