Balgarianovinite.com The leader of Turkiye’s largest opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel, has described the corruption charges linked to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality — which led to Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s arrest and suspension — as politically motivated, comparing them to a memorandum issued by coup organizers.
Ozel’s comments on the social network X followed the announcement of an indictment seeking nearly 2,400 years in prison for Imamoglu, a CHP member, while simultaneously requesting that the Supreme Court file a case to ban the party.
“On March 19, the day Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested, a civil coup took place in our country. This time, those who carried it out did not arrive with tanks or send telegrams by post; they came dressed in the robes of justice. A handful of people who came to power through elections now refuse to leave through elections. By imprisoning the opponents they feared, they have dragged Turkiye into the darkness of political and economic crisis. Over the following 237 days, together with our sacred people, we witnessed every hour of this great injustice. The indictment presented today once again exposes the truth we all knew,” Ozel said.
He stressed that the case is not lawful but politically motivated, aimed at halting the CHP — which came first in the latest elections — and preventing its presidential nominee.
Imamoglu, the CHP’s candidate for president and considered a key challenger to President Erdogan, was detained on March 19 on corruption charges, and several days later the Istanbul City Council temporarily removed him from office. Several municipal officials were also detained as part of the investigation, prompting protests described as the largest in Turkiye since 2013.
“Today, the organizers of the coup have lost their senses to the extent that they are seeking to shut down the CHP, Turkiye’s founding party, whose charter is registered in the name of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The Supreme Prosecutor’s reference to constitutional provisions allowing the closure of a party proves that the matter is not about investigating the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. What is happening today is a blatant case of judicial interference in democratic politics and in the outcome of future elections. This is not an indictment; it is a politically motivated memorandum by coup organisers,” Ozel wrote.
He saw clear political ambitions behind the actions targeting Turkiye’s largest opposition party.
“The reasons for the injustices we have endured are by no means legal; they are driven by the political ambitions of one man. In the past, we have paid a high price, we are paying it today, and we will continue to pay it — but we will never give up on believing in the people. Ataturk’s party belongs to our nation,” the opposition leader emphasized. Turkish Opposition Leader Denounces Istanbul Mayor Corruption Case as Politically Motivated “Coup Memorandum” 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-11-11 23:02:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law