Istanbul court sentences Ekrem Imamoglu to prison

Former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu was sentenced to a total of one year and eight months in prison on charges of “insulting a public official” and “making threats” over remarks he made about Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek during a public panel.

The prison sentence must be confirmed by two appeals courts.

Prosecutors had requested a sentence of up to seven years and four months for Imamoğlu on three charges: insulting a public official, threatening and targeting a person involved in counterterrorism.

The court’s final ruling fell short of the maximum penalty but may still have political consequences due to the imposition of Article 53, which could impact his eligibility for public office, pending appeal.