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Prosecutors filed new espionage charges against Istanbul’s jailed mayor on Monday, increasing judicial pressure on an opposition politician seen as the president’s top rival. Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
new allegations against Ekrem Imamoglu It stems from an investigation launched last week into alleged ties between his political campaign and a businessman arrested in July for allegedly conducting intelligence activities on behalf of foreign governments.
Imamoglu’s former campaign manager, Necati Ozkan, and journalist Merden Yanardag were also charged.
state run anadolu agency Imamoglu – who is already in pre-trial detention on corruption charges – is suspected of, among other things, transferring personal data istanbul residents as part of an effort to secure international funding for their campaign.
Imamoglu dismissed the allegations as “nonsense” in a statement posted on social media.
“Even the claim that I got burned Rome Would have been more credible than this nonsense,” Imamoglu said. “Our struggle against this mentality that has vowed to destroy the future of our country has now become even stronger.”
Hundreds of supporters rallied outside Istanbul’s main court on Sunday as Imamoglu was questioned by prosecutors. It was the first time Imamoglu had left Istanbul’s Marmara prison on the outskirts of Istanbul in seven months.
Critics see Imamoglu’s arrest – along with other mayors from the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP – as part of a broader crackdown on the opposition, which made significant gains in last year’s local elections. Several municipalities run by the CHP faced arrests throughout the year.
Imamoglu’s arrest in March sparked nationwide protests. Erdogan’s government insists that Türkiye’s judiciary is independent and that investigations focus solely on corruption.