Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu’s Defamation Trial Adjourned

Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu appeared before the Istanbul Anadolu 16th Criminal Court on charges of publicly insulting former Tuzla mayor Şadi Yazıcı. The case stems from Imamoğlu’s remarks at the opening of the Tuzla Advanced Biological Treatment Plant in October 2022, where he described Yazıcı as a provocateur and used harsh language. The original 2022 trial ended in acquittal, but the appellate court annulled that decision and ordered a new hearing. Imamoğlu attended the session via the SEGBIS video system, accompanied by his wife Dilek Imamoğlu and their lawyers. The court postponed the proceedings to 11 September, allowing further examination of the evidence. The prosecution is seeking a prison term of two to four years for the charge of “public official insult,” while other accusations such as incitement and defamation were dismissed.