A Turkish court has issued a new arrest order for jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Erdogan’s main rival, on suspicion of "political espionage."
This marks a major escalation in the ongoing legal crackdown against the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
Imamoglu, who has been in jail since March on separate corruption charges and was recently sentenced for insulting a prosecutor, now faces accusations of using graft to fund his presidential bid and engaging in espionage to secure international support, according to state media.
Imamoglu vehemently rejected the new charges, calling them "slander, lies and conspiracy." Analysts suggest that an indictment could lead to the state seizing control of the Istanbul municipality, Europe's largest city, with the Interior Ministry having the authority to replace the mayor with a government trustee.
The arrest order also targeted two others, including Merdan Yanardag, editor-in-chief of the critical news channel Tele1, which was seized by the state on Friday as part of the espionage accusations. Critics view the court's actions as politicized, an allegation the government denies.
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