Turkish court sentences Erdogan rival to jail with political ban - Reuters

ISTANBUL, Dec 14 (Reuters) - A Turkish tribunal sentenced Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu to jailhouse connected Wednesday and imposed a governmental prohibition connected the absorption person who is seen arsenic a beardown imaginable challenger to President Tayyip Erdogan successful elections adjacent year.

Imamoglu was sentenced to 2 years and 7 months successful situation on with the ban, some of which indispensable beryllium confirmed by an appeals court, for insulting nationalist officials successful a code helium made aft helium won Istanbul's municipal predetermination successful 2019.

Riot constabulary were stationed extracurricular the courthouse connected the Asian broadside of the metropolis of 17 cardinal people, though Imamoglu continued to enactment arsenic accustomed and dismissed the tribunal proceedings.

At his municipal office crossed the Bosphorus connected the European broadside of Istanbul, helium told thousands of supporters that the verdict marked a "profound unlawfulness" that "proved that determination is nary justness successful today's Turkey".

Voters would respond successful statesmanlike and parliamentary elections which are owed by adjacent June, helium said.

The ballot could people the biggest governmental situation yet for Erdogan, who is seeking to widen his regularisation into a 3rd decennary successful the look of a collapsing currency and rampant ostentation which person driven the outgo of surviving for Turks ever higher.

A six-party absorption confederation has yet to hold their statesmanlike candidate, and Imamoglu has been mooted arsenic a imaginable starring challenger to tally against Erdogan.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, president of Imamoglu's absorption Republican People's Party (CHP), said helium was cutting abbreviated a sojourn to Germany and returning to Turkey successful effect to what helium called a "grave usurpation of the instrumentality and justice".

'VERY SAD DAY'

The European Parliament rapporteur connected Turkey, Nacho Sanchez Amor, expressed disbelief astatine the "inconceivable" verdict.

"Justice successful #Turkey is successful a calamitous state, grossly utilized for governmental purposes. Very bittersweet day," helium tweeted.

Imamoglu was tried implicit a code aft Istanbul elections erstwhile helium said those who annulled the archetypal ballot - successful which helium narrowly defeated a campaigner from Erdogan's AK Party - were "fools". Imamoglu says that remark was a effect to Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu for utilizing the aforesaid connection against him.

After the archetypal results were annulled, helium won the re-run ballot comfortably, ending the 25-year regularisation successful Turkey's largest metropolis by the AKP and its Islamist predecessors.

The result of adjacent year's elections is seen hinging connected the quality of the CHP and others successful absorption to articulation forces astir a azygous campaigner to situation Erdogan and the AKP, which has governed Turkey since 2002.

Erdogan, who besides served arsenic Istanbul politician earlier rising to predominate Turkish nationalist politics, was concisely jailed successful 1999 for reciting a poem that a tribunal ruled was an incitement to spiritual hatred.

Selahattin Demirtas, the jailed erstwhile person of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), tweeted that Imamoglu should beryllium incarcerated successful the aforesaid situation wherever Erdogan was held truthful that helium could yet travel his way to the presidency.

A jailhouse condemnation oregon governmental prohibition connected Imamoglu would request to beryllium upheld successful appeals courts, perchance extending an result to the lawsuit beyond the elections date.

Critics accidental Turkish courts crook to Erdogan's will. The authorities says the judiciary is independent.

"The ruling volition beryllium last lone aft the higher tribunal decides whether to uphold the ruling oregon not. Under these circumstances, it would beryllium incorrect to accidental that the governmental prohibition is successful place," Timucin Koprulu, prof of transgression instrumentality astatine Atilim University successful Ankara, told Reuters aft the ruling.

Additional reporting by Ece Toksabay and Huseyin Hayatsever successful Ankara and Daren Butler successful Istanbul; Writing by Daren Butler and Dominic Evans; Editing by Gareth Jones

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