Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into a local youth leader from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) over a banner featuring jailed İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Turkish media reported.
Deniz Turan, the CHP’s youth wing leader in Erzincan province, was summoned to give a statement to prosecutors on accusations of “praising crime and criminals” after he hung a banner outside the party’s local headquarters.
The banner, which featured the slogan “Challenge Accepted” alongside a portrait of İmamoğlu, was later removed.
In a social media post Turan said displaying a banner of İmamoğlu was not a crime but a legitimate exercise of freedom of thought and expression.
Several CHP youth branch leaders have been targeted by investigations in recent months. Ramazan Yıldız, head of the party’s youth branch in İstanbul’s Adalar district, was arrested on February 12 on charges of “targeting individuals involved in counterterrorism efforts,” after he shared an Instagram post about the justice minister.
In a separate case Bilge Kağan Şarbat, head of the CHP youth branch in İstanbul’s Kadıköy district, was previously arrested on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and was later released pending trial.
The CHP has faced a series of prosecutions criticized as politically motivated and the seizure of some of its municipalities through trustee appointments following its sweeping 2024 local election victory.
The pressure on the CHP has intensified since the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, widely seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s strongest political rival, last year, days before he was named his party’s presidential candidate for the next general election scheduled for 2028.
İmamoğlu is accused of running what prosecutors call a “criminal organization” within the municipality. He has denied the accusations and says they are politically motivated.
