Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu has accused President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of attempting to marginalize him politically through judicial maneuvers, urging the president to engage in a fair political battle. His remarks followed a newly drafted indictment against him by prosecutors.

The latest charges could result in a prison sentence of up to four years and a political ban. The case stems from his criticism of a court-appointed expert witness, whom he accused of bias, Turkish Minute reports.

As a leading figure in the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Imamoğlu dealt a significant blow to Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) by ending its long-standing control over İstanbul in the 2019 municipal elections. Since then, he has been subjected to repeated legal challenges.

In a series of posts on X, Imamoğlu highlighted that this indictment marks the fifth time he has faced potential political disqualification, along with a cumulative prison sentence of over 25 years.

“The person trying to sideline me from politics is obvious — it is Mr. President,” Imamoğlu, who is considered the strongest contender against Erdoğan in a potential future presidential race, wrote. “I am calling on the president to be honest. This nation loves the brave and the honorable.”

Erdoğan, however, denies any involvement in the legal actions against Imamoğlu. Speaking to reporters last Friday, he dismissed concerns about the political ban, stating, “I don’t care if a political ban is imposed on anyone.”

On Monday, Fahrettin Altun, Erdoğan’s communications director, also rejected Imamoğlu’s claims, calling the accusations against the president “a great slander” and an attempt to “disrupt judicial proceedings.”

The latest indictment accuses Imamoğlu of “attempting to influence a judicial officer, expert, or witness.” It originates from a press conference in late January, where Imamoğlu alleged that expert witness Satılmış Büyükcanayakın was deliberately selected to write biased reports against CHP mayors in Istanbul. His comments came amid an escalating legal crackdown on CHP officials, leading to the arrest and removal of several mayors in recent months.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office swiftly opened an investigation after the press conference, charging the mayor with “attempting to influence a judicial officer, expert, or witness” as well as “attempting to influence a fair trial.”

Additionally, prosecutors have charged five journalists from the pro-opposition Halk TV network, one of whom is currently in pretrial detention. They are accused of airing an interview with Büyükcanayakın without authorization and allegedly revealing his identity in a way that could compromise his safety and influence court proceedings.

Imamoğlu is already entangled in several other legal battles. In December 2022, he was sentenced to over two years in prison and barred from politics for allegedly insulting members of Turkey’s Supreme Election Board (YSK). If an appeals court upholds the verdict, he will be officially disqualified from political office.