ISTANBUL: Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu appeared in a prison courtroom Friday over claims he fraudulently obtained his university diploma, marking the first hearing in a case that triggered nationwide protests earlier this year.
Imamoglu was greeted with cheering and applause as he entered the courtroom in Silivri Prison, west of Istanbul, on Friday. His family, senior opposition politicians and former university classmates were present for the hearing, according to media reports.
The prosecution is demanding a prison sentence of between 2½ years and 8¾ years and a political ban for alleged forgery of official documents.
Istanbul University nullified Imamoglu’s diploma in March, citing alleged irregularities in his 1990 transfer from a private university in northern Cyprus. In response, students faced down police in support of the mayor.
Imamoglu was arrested the following day on claims of corruption and terror links, which led to hundreds of thousands flooding the streets in Turkiye’s largest protests in more than a decade. He has been behind bars ever since.
