The Turkish opposition, still reeling from the defeat against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the elections, suffered another blow on Thursday as a court began hearing a case against one of its brightest stars, accusing him of manipulating bids. The case against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu commenced less than three weeks after Erdoğan shattered polling expectations and dashed his opponents' hopes of winning the presidential re-election, extending his rule for another term after over two decades in power.
İmamoğlu potentially faces a prison sentence of three to seven years and a political ban if convicted in the latest case, following a previous conviction in 2022 that resulted in a more than two-year prison sentence for insulting public officials. He also faces a political ban if that ruling is upheld. His case was postponed to November 30, and the trial is set to cast a shadow over the opposition as it attempts to regroup and mobilize voters ahead of local elections in March.
