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Erdogan sues the leader of the opposition and the mayor of Istanbul for defamation

2024-11-02 08:40:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Erdogan sues the leader of the opposition and the mayor of Istanbul for

President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan

The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has sued the main opposition leader and the mayor of Istanbul for statements that he has described as defamation, Anadolu news agency reported. These statements, according to the lawsuits, were made during a protest rally the day before.

Filed on November 1, the two separate lawsuits are filed against Ozgur Ozel, head of the Republican People's Party (CHP), and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

One lawsuit accuses Ozel of "publicly insulting the president" and of "committing a crime against the reputation and honor of the office of the president."

The other lawsuit alleges that Imamoglu made "baseless accusations, including defamation, that violate Erdogan's rights" and that he "did so with the intention of publicly humiliating the president."

Each lawsuit seeks $30,000 in damages for damages caused by the defendants.

These lawsuits are based on statements made by these two politicians during a protest on Thursday in Istanbul, after the police had arrested the mayor of Istanbul's Esenjurt district on Wednesday, under allegations that he had ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, a party banned in Turkey. .

It is not clear what statements prompted the lawsuits, but Ozer, who took over the leadership of the CHP a year ago, immediately responded.

Erdogan "claims that he was offended, but no offense was done. He tries to make himself a victim... and he is the one who offended and victimized Esenjurt" by arresting the president, he told reporters.

Imamaoglu, who was elected mayor of Istanbul in 2019, is often portrayed as Erdogan's biggest political rival and is expected to run in the 2028 presidential election.

He is considered one of the most popular politicians in Turkey.

Two years ago, Imamogu was sued for defamation after describing Istanbul election officials as "idiots" during the 2019 Istanbul mayoral election.

A court found him guilty and sentenced him to almost three years in prison and banned him from participating in political life for the duration of his sentence. This decision was condemned by the international community.

Imamoglu appealed this decision, as he continued to serve as the mayor of Istanbul.

Ateworld, Erdogan had insisted that he had no hand in this case./REL