Following a recent leadership reshuffle,the Republican People’s Party (CHP) addressed ongoing legal challenges facing Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu,with the newly appointed spokesperson,Zeynel Emre,asserting a pattern of judge replacements in cases involving the prominent opposition figure. Emre’s remarks came during the CHP’s first meeting with its new leadership, and touched on a range of issues from municipal governance to the national budget and minimum wage. The party maintains the legal proceedings against İmamoğlu are politically motivated.
The newly appointed spokesperson for Turkey’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) stated December 9 that no court cases involving Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu have remained with the same judge throughout their proceedings. The statement comes after the CHP completed its first meeting with a new leadership team.
Zeynel Emre, the CHP spokesperson, said the party completed its Kurultay with the goal of preparing Turkey for the future, focusing on workers, producers, tradespeople, farmers, young people, women, and children.
Emre addressed concerns regarding the arrests of several CHP mayors facing investigations into alleged irregularities. He also commented on the health of Antalya Mayor Muhittin Böcek, stating, “There is no basis for Muhittin Böcek to be tried while incarcerated. His life is in danger. If anything happens to him, the AK Party government will be primarily responsible.”
Regarding the case against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, centered on allegations of a falsified university diploma, Emre argued that prosecuting İmamoğlu – who was a student at the time the alleged infraction occurred – was a “massacre of law.” He added that the fact that only İmamoğlu faced prosecution among those whose diplomas were revoked suggests political motivations were at play.
“THE BUDGET HAS NO CONNECTION TO THE PEOPLE”
Table of Contents
The CHP spokesperson also addressed the ongoing debate surrounding the 2026 Central Government Budget proposal in the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
“This budget is not the budget of the people, but the budget of a handful of capitalists and the AK Party that relies on them,” Emre said. “It has no connection to the people.” He criticized allocations for education, youth, infrastructure, the environment, and transportation.
MINIMUM WAGE PROPOSAL
Emre also discussed the upcoming discussions regarding the minimum wage for 2026, asserting that the current composition of the Minimum Wage Determination Commission does not adequately protect workers’ rights.
The CHP’s proposal calls for a minimum wage of 39,000 lira. “Even that is low, but it would at least provide some relief,” Emre stated. He also proposed a tiered incentive model, offering businesses with between one and ten employees a subsidy of 10,540 lira, those with ten to forty-nine employees a subsidy of 8,400 lira, and those with fifty or more employees a subsidy of 5,100 lira. “This would support small businesses and SMEs while creating balance,” he said.
HASAN UFUK ÇAKIR REFERRED TO PARTY COUNCIL
Responding to questions about critical statements made by CHP Mersin MP Hasan Ufuk Çakır regarding the party, Emre stated that the issue was discussed during the meeting.
“Our Chairman has shown great tolerance for a long time, trying to understand and include those who protested, were upset, or reacted,” Emre said. “But there is a limit to everything. The MP has been referred to the Party Council with a recommendation for definitive expulsion, and the Council will decide at its first meeting.”
Emre’s remarks also included the following:
“In the 2019 local elections, Tayyip Erdoğan refused to recognize the results, disrespected the national will, and obstructed the elected mayors from serving, even attempting to rerun the Istanbul election. For five years, the activities of our municipalities have been hampered, and efforts have been made to discredit them in the public eye through disinformation.
Mr. İmamoğlu has won mayoral elections twice in Istanbul, a city with a large population, and was nominated as a presidential candidate by the CHP with strong support from the public and the people. Following this, Erdoğan, who saw İmamoğlu as his biggest rival, initiated investigations against him.
Remarkably, after 35 years, allegations surfaced regarding irregularities in his academic record. They wrote to Istanbul University, which formed a committee including an oncology panel. Without authority, the diplomas of Mr. İmamoğlu and others who had risen to the rank of professor were revoked. There are striking developments following this. No court cases involving Ekrem İmamoğlu have remained with the same judge.
The judge in the case regarding insults to Akın Gürlek wrote a dissenting opinion and was subsequently transferred to a labor court. The judge initially presiding over the “fool” case was sent to Sinop without request. Similarly, in the case alleging incitement to hatred, the judge was changed twice.
“SECURITY IS NOT MAINTAINED WITH TEAR GAS AND WATER CANNONS”
This is a surge in crime, signaling a potential social explosion. True security is achieved through democracy and human rights, not through tear gas and water cannons. The social state is crucial, and we are witnessing its collapse. Today, it is a struggle for the elderly and disabled to live in this country.
The diploma case. The judge in the previous hearing conducted the proceedings appropriately. The new member appointed yesterday engaged in a debate with Mr. İmamoğlu, something a judge should not do.
The MP Hasan Ufuk Çakır has been referred to the Party Council with a recommendation for definitive expulsion. The Council will decide.
The press is under serious pressure. Censorship is at a high level. People conducting street interviews and expressing their opinions are being arrested. Turkey does not belong to one person and their family. Therefore, the key to Turkey is for no one to remain silent, no one to be intimidated, and for everyone to continue speaking.
