Istanbul’s opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to engage in an “honest” fight.

Imamoglu, widely expected to challenge Erdogan for the presidency in the next national elections, at the same time accused the president of more than two decades of attempting to manoeuvre him out of politics with judicial conspiracies. He spoke out after prosecutors drafted a new indictment against him, saying on X: “The person trying to sideline me from politics is obvious — it is Mr President. I am calling on the president to be honest. This nation loves the brave and the honourable.”

The indictment outlined by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office seeks a prison sentence of up to four years as well as a political ban. It was announced after Imamoglu criticised a court-appointed expert witness as biased. Prosecutors alleged he was attempting to influence a fair trial.

The mayor, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), has frequently been targeted with legal action by officials since 2019 when he defeated the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate for Istanbul in the 2019 local elections, ending the party’s years-long control of the commercial and cultural capital.

Imamoglu said on X that the latest indictment marks the fifth time he has been confronted by the prospect of a political ban as well as a prison sentence of more than 25 years.

Erdogan, who last week came under a rare attack launched by leaders of Turkey's main business lobby, has rejected the idea that he is involved in investigations launched into Imamoglu. When quizzed about the legal action against the mayor on February 14, Erdogan told reporters: “I don’t care if a political ban is imposed on anyone.”

Fahrettin Altun, Erdogan’s communications director, on February 17 said attempts to link ongoing legal actions to Erdogan were “a great slander” and “an effort to disrupt judicial proceedings.”

The indictment specifies that Imamoglu is charged with “attempting to influence a judicial officer, expert or witness.”

It relates to allegations made by Imamoglu in late January. The mayor claimed that expert witness Satilmis Buyukcanayakin was “cherry-picked” to draft reports against CHP mayors in Istanbul for a role in influencing court proceedings. He spoke on the matter amid intensified pressure exerted of late by officials on CHP politicians as well as Kurdish mayors and journalists. Several mayors have been arrested and removed from office in recent months.

The mayor is already fighting several other legal cases. In December 2022, he was sentenced to more than two years in prison and barred from politics after being charged with insulting members of Turkey’s Supreme Election Board (YSK). Imamoglu has lodged an appeal.  

Separately, communications chief Altun has slammed a recent report by The Economist detailing the crackdown on opposition politicians, journalists and activists, calling it a “defamation campaign” against Erdogan and his administration.

A court, meanwhile, has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Erdogan against remarks made by CHP leader Ozgur Ozel, ruling that Ozel’s words constituted harsh criticism but did not violate Erdoğan’s personal rights. The lawsuit accused Ozel of “publicly insulting the president” and “slander” with comments on the arrest of Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Ozer.