Turkish prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of up to 15 years for Ahmet Özer, a mayor from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) who was arrested in October and removed from office on terrorism-related charges, Turkish Minute reported.
The indictment accuses 65-year-old Özer, the former mayor of İstanbul’s Esenyurt district, of membership in a terrorist organization — the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its umbrella group, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK).
The PKK, which has been waging a bloody campaign in Turkey’s southeast since 1984, is a group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
Özer, an ethnic Kurd, has been in pretrial detention since October 30. The indictment, drafted by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, seeks a sentence ranging from seven-and-a-half to 15 years for him in addition to a political ban. Prosecutors claim that he maintained ties with the PKK for nearly a decade, citing intercepted communications, surveillance records, financial transactions and alleged connections to senior PKK figures, including Remzi Kartal, a wanted leader on an INTERPOL Red Notice.
Arrest sparks protests and political backlash
Özer, a university professor, was elected mayor of Esenyurt in March 2024 with 49 percent of the vote. His candidacy was also backed by the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party). Esenyurt is Turkey’s most densely populated district, home to nearly 1 million people.
Following his arrest, Özer was replaced by İstanbul Deputy Governor Can Aksoy, appointed as a government trustee. His removal triggered protests and widespread criticism, with opposition figures calling it a violation of the democratic process and politically motivated.
The CHP has faced mounting legal pressure in recent months. Another opposition mayor in İstanbul, Rıza Akpolat of Beşiktaş, was also arrested and removed from office in a bid-rigging investigation last month.
Meanwhile, İstanbul’s popular Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu also recently saw the launch of two investigations into him for criticizing investigations targeting him and other mayors.
In the latest episode of an ongoing crackdown on the party, an İstanbul court ruled last week for the arrest of 10 senior municipal officials from the CHP on terrorism charges.
The CHP and government critics argue that these investigations are an attempt to discredit the party and weaken İmamoğlu, who is seen as a potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan if Erdoğan seeks another term in the next presidential election.
The opposition claims the government is using the judiciary to target CHP-run municipalities in retaliation for the party’s success in last year’s local elections.
Additionally, CHP municipalities have been subjected to investigations over alleged financial irregularities and unpaid debts to the government.
