Judiciary Clash: Istanbul Mayor in Spotlight Again

Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu faces a new judicial investigation after criticizing legal actions against opposition municipalities. Accusations suggest the judiciary is used by the government for political leverage, amidst tensions with President Erdogan. Imamoglu, a potential future presidential candidate, challenges these probes as politically motivated.

An Istanbul prosecutor has launched a new judicial investigation against Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, accusing him of attempting to influence the judiciary. The latest probe comes after Imamoglu criticized legal investigations into opposition-run municipalities.

Imamoglu, considered a potential presidential challenger to President Erdogan, alleged that Erdogan's government uses the judiciary to apply pressure on the opposition. He highlighted the repeated use of the same expert witness in multiple legal probes against him and other Istanbul district municipalities run by the CHP.

The Turkish government, however, denies any political interference, maintaining that the judiciary operates independently. This investigation follows another recent probe against Imamoglu for his criticism of the Istanbul prosecutor's actions in detaining the CHP's youth branch head.

(With inputs from agencies.)