İstanbul prosecutors demand lengthy prison sentences for seven mayors from the country’s main opposition party who are to go on trial accused of being part of a criminal organization, according to the indictment seen by Agence France-Presse on Monday.
The seven mayors, arrested between January and July, are all members of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which has been the target of investigations and arrests over the past year.
A total of 415 years in prison was sought for Rıza Akpolat, mayor of the İstanbul district of Beşiktaş. He is accused of “membership in a criminal organization,” “bid-rigging” and “illicit enrichment,” according to the indictment. Turkish jail sentences are cumulative.
The six other mayors, accused of bid-rigging and accepting bribes, risk up to 18 years behind bars.
More than 700 years in prison would be sought for Aziz İhsan Aktas, a businessman accused of leading the alleged criminal organization.
The opening date of their trial has not been announced.
In March, İstanbul’s CHP mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, was arrested and imprisoned for “corruption,” an accusation he denies.
İmamoğlu is considered President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s most serious rival and his arrest sparked a wave of protests. The CHP emerged victorious in local elections last year at the expense of an alliance led by Erdoğan’s party. Opposition supporters accuse the Turkish government of using the judiciary to crackdown on rivals.
