Detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has filed over 200 complaints with Turkey's media regulator RTÜK and the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office over publications and statements containing defamatory and insulting allegations against him, Birgun reported, BTA reports.
Imamoglu's lawyers have filed complaints with authorities against multiple television channels, online media outlets, newspapers and social media accounts. They claim that "the language used on these platforms violates not only journalistic ethics but also their client's personal rights".
Imamoglu was arrested on March 19, along with other members of the main opposition force, the Republican People's Party (CHP). On March 23, the court extended his detention on corruption charges. Shortly thereafter, the Istanbul Metropolitan Council removed him from office and appointed Nuri Aslan as interim mayor.
Imamoğlu's arrest sparked mass protests in various cities across the country, which escalated into clashes with police and led to further arrests.
Despite the charges, İmamoğlu was nominated as the official candidate of the HDP for the upcoming presidential election. The opposition has launched a petition demanding his immediate release, as well as early elections - before the planned vote in 2028.
The situation surrounding İmamoğlu is part of a broader political context of heightened tension. A trial has recently begun in Turkey against the leader of the opposition Victory Party, Ümit Özdag, who faces a prison sentence of more than 4 years for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Last month, Erdogan filed a lawsuit for 500,000 Turkish liras (about $13,000) in non-pecuniary damages against the leader of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Özgür Özel, who publicly called him a "junta leader".