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New Case Against Turkey's Main Opposition Party Escalates to High Criminal Court

In a significant escalation of legal pressure on Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), a court has referred a case concerning alleged electoral fraud during the party's 38th Ordinary Congress to a high criminal court on potential bribery charges. The Ankara 26th Criminal Court of First Instance declared itself incompetent to hear the case, citing possible "bribery" offenses that require adjudication by a higher court.

The case centers on allegations that votes were manipulated during the CHP congress, where Özgür Özel was elected as party chairman, defeating former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. According to the indictment, Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is currently in detention on separate charges, allegedly orchestrated a scheme to influence delegates to vote for Özel.

The court's decision states that the alleged actions may constitute "a multi-beneficiary and multi-sided bribery agreement," noting that some defendants are public officials working in municipalities or affiliated organizations. The court emphasized that the high criminal court should determine whether the alleged manipulation of votes could be classified as bribery under Turkish law.

The indictment names 12 individuals as suspects, including İmamoğlu and former MP Erkan Aydın, while Kılıçdaroğlu is listed as the "victim." The court also ruled that Kılıçdaroğlu should be notified of proceedings and potentially heard as a witness.

This legal action comes amid a broader crackdown on CHP-led municipalities. The Interior Ministry recently removed five CHP mayors from office following their detention in a separate investigation related to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The dismissed mayors include those from Avcılar, Büyükçekmece, and Gaziosmanpaşa in Istanbul, as well as Seyhan and Ceyhan in Adana. This brings the total number of removed CHP mayors to eleven.

CHP leader Özgür Özel now faces two separate investigations himself after making strong statements against Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek. Both Ankara and Istanbul prosecutor's offices have launched investigations against Özel for allegedly threatening and insulting a judicial official.

Speaking to the media, Özel characterized the investigations as politically motivated, stating: "We are no longer engaged in politics. We are fighting for our existence." He accused President Erdoğan of targeting [Ekrem] İmamoğlu because "he has defeated Erdoğan's candidates three times in Istanbul" and described the legal proceedings as "a coup with prosecutor's robes instead of military uniforms."

The escalating legal pressure on Turkey's main opposition comes as President Erdoğan has floated the idea of a new constitution. Özel rejected these overtures, saying: "Before Erdoğan invites us to a constitutional table, he must first comply with the existing constitution."

Political analysts view these developments as part of a broader pattern of using judicial mechanisms against opposition figures ahead of future elections, with İmamoğlu widely considered a potential presidential candidate against Erdoğan in the next election cycle.

Photo: T24

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