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Prosecutors seek prison sentence for acting İstanbul mayor over courthouse incident
15.10.2024
By Turkish Minute
Source:https://www.turkishminute.com/2025/10/15/prosecutors-seek-prison-sentence-for-acting-istanbul-mayor-over-courthouse-incident/
An indictment has been filed against Nuri Aslan, the acting mayor of İstanbul, on charges of “attempting to prevent the performance of duty,” for which prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of six months to three years.
The case stems from an incident on May 27, when Aslan visited the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan to meet with relatives of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality employees who had been detained during the fourth wave of a corruption investigation targeting the municipality, which resulted in the arrest of the city’s popular mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in March.
According to the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Aslan allegedly threatened security personnel at the courthouse after being denied entry to meet the relatives of the city staff who were detained. Following the incident, prosecutors launched an investigation into Aslan on charges of obstructing public officials.
The prosecutor’s office later confirmed that an indictment had been drafted against Aslan for violating Article 265 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalizes resisting or obstructing officials in the performance of their duties.
If convicted, Aslan faces a prison sentence ranging from six months to three years.
Following his arrest İmamoğlu was also removed from office, but a trustee was not appointed to the İstanbul Municipality by the government, unlike the practice in other municipalities whose mayors have been arrested or removed from office.
The CHP elected Aslan, a member of the city council in İstanbul to run the city in İmamoğlu’s absence.
İmamoğlu, seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main political rival, was re-elected mayor of İstanbul in the March 2024 local elections. His term expires in March 2029.
Many say the arrest of İmamoğlu is politically motivated to sideline the mayor ahead of the next presidential election slated for 2028.
His arrest has sparked nights of street protests on a scale unseen in Turkey since 2013 and widespread condemnation from Europe, the UN and other international organizations.
The indictment against Aslan comes amid a series of corruption and misconduct probes targeting CHP figures across Turkey, which party officials say are politically motivated.
Since October 2024 more than 10 CHP mayors, including İmamoğlu, have been detained or put in pretrial detention on charges including bribery, corruption and alleged links to terrorism.
The CHP has described the investigations as part of a government campaign to undermine elected opposition officials following the party’s success in the March 2024 local elections, when it won control of most major cities.
Rights groups have warned that the series of detentions further weakens democratic opposition in Turkey ahead of future national polls.
15.10.2024
By Turkish Minute
Source:https://www.turkishminute.com/2025/10/15/prosecutors-
An indictment has been filed against Nuri Aslan, the acting mayor of İstanbul, on charges of “attempting to prevent the performance of duty,” for which prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of six months to three years.
The case stems from an incident on May 27, when Aslan visited the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan to meet with relatives of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality employees who had been detained during the fourth wave of a corruption investigation targeting the municipality, which resulted in the arrest of the city’s popular mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in March.
According to the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Aslan allegedly threatened security personnel at the courthouse after being denied entry to meet the relatives of the city staff who were detained. Following the incident, prosecutors launched an investigation into Aslan on charges of obstructing public officials.
The prosecutor’s office later confirmed that an indictment had been drafted against Aslan for violating Article 265 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalizes resisting or obstructing officials in the performance of their duties.
If convicted, Aslan faces a prison sentence ranging from six months to three years.
Following his arrest İmamoğlu was also removed from office, but a trustee was not appointed to the İstanbul Municipality by the government, unlike the practice in other municipalities whose mayors have been arrested or removed from office.
The CHP elected Aslan, a member of the city council in İstanbul to run the city in İmamoğlu’s absence.
İmamoğlu, seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main political rival, was re-
Many say the arrest of İmamoğlu is politically motivated to sideline the mayor ahead of the next presidential election slated for 2028.
His arrest has sparked nights of street protests on a scale unseen in Turkey since 2013 and widespread condemnation from Europe, the UN and other international organizations.
The indictment against Aslan comes amid a series of corruption and misconduct probes targeting CHP figures across Turkey, which party officials say are politically motivated.
Since October 2024 more than 10 CHP mayors, including İmamoğlu, have been detained or put in pretrial detention on charges including bribery, corruption and alleged links to terrorism.
The CHP has described the investigations as part of a government campaign to undermine elected opposition officials following the party’s success in the March 2024 local elections, when it won control of most major cities.
Rights groups have warned that the series of detentions further weakens democratic opposition in Turkey ahead of future national polls.