Ahmet Özer, the suspended mayor of İstanbul’s Esenyurt district from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), made his third appearance in court on Monday in a terrorism case that could see him sentenced to up to 15 years in prison, in what critics say is part of a wider crackdown on opposition mayors.
The third hearing at Istanbul’s 14th High Criminal Court took place than a year after Özer’s detention in an October 2024 police raid.
The indictment accuses the 65-year-old Özer of membership in 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 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 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, wanted on an INTERPOL Red Notice.
According to the Birgün daily, the court ruled to keep Özer in pretrial detention and adjourned his trial to January 23, 2026.
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 Özer’s arrest, İstanbul Deputy Governor Can Aksoy was appointed as a government trustee to serve in his place. 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.
More than 500 people linked to the CHP or the İstanbul Municipality have been detained or arrested since last year’s local elections when the CHP emerged as the most successful party and the AKP suffered its worst election defeat.
Since October 2024 more than 10 CHP mayors, including İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, have been put in pretrial detention on charges including bribery, corruption and alleged links to terrorism.
The CHP has described the investigations as part of a government campaign to undermine elected opposition officials following the party’s success in the March 2024 local elections, when it won control of most major cities.
The CHP and government critics also 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, scheduled to take place in 2028.
