"Ekrem Imamoglu, the former mayor of Istanbul and the opposition's most promising presidential candidate, has been locked up in the high-security prison of Silivri since March. The 54-year-old rival of President Recep Tayyip Edogan faces various charges, with accusations ranging from defamation to corruption. On September 11, Imamoglu will be in court on charges of forgery. Although the accusation sounds trivial, a conviction could have far-reaching consequences."
"Imamoglu is accused of forging multiple documents, particularly his university diploma, which the University of Istanbul annulled just before his arrest. He faces a maximum prison sentence of eight years and nine months if convicted. The gravest consequence, however, would be his exclusion from any political activities, particularly from running in the next presidential elections. According to Turkey's constitution, a university degree is a mandatory prerequisite for the office of head of state."
Turkey's judiciary has arrested sixteen CHP mayors, hundreds of party employees and officials, and detained former Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Silivri since March. Imamoglu faces charges including defamation, corruption and alleged forgery of multiple documents, notably his university diploma, which the University of Istanbul annulled prior to his arrest. A conviction on the forgery charge carries up to eight years and nine months in prison and could disqualify him from running for head of state because the constitution requires a university degree. Imamoglu and the CHP say the charges and diploma annulment are politically motivated. The diploma controversy surfaced after his 2019 mayoral victory, and subsequent probes revealed alleged AK party use of city funds to benefit government-aligned media.
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