The trial of Istanbul’s jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, on charges he faked his university degree, was Monday deferred to December 8 following a row over the size of the courtroom.
Imamoglu, the only serious rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been nominated as a candidate for the main opposition CHP party at elections in 2028.
But the cancellation of his university degree would effectively rule him out of the race.
He was forcibly made to appear on Monday after initially refusing to attend because of a spat between his lawyers and the court about the room reserved for the prison hearing.
The defence team argued that it was too small.
Imamoglu, who was mayor of Turkey’s largest and richest city until his arrest last year, is facing a slew of legal proceedings, including for corruption.
He was detained with dozens of colleagues on March 18 last year, then Istanbul University annulled his degree, which he obtained in 1990.
According to the university, he should not have been given the qualification, as the first two years of his study were at a university in Northern Cyprus, which was not recognised at the time by the Turkish Council of Higher Education.
If he is found guilty, he could be sentenced to between 2.5 years and eight years and nine months in jail.
-Advertisement-
Grab our latest Magazine, "Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, SAN, A man of wide horizons and deep intentions". Get your order fast and stress free.
For more details about Newswire Law&Events Magazine, kindly reach out to us on 08039218044, 09070309355. Email: newswiremagazine@yahoo.co.uk. You will be glad you did
Download E-Magazine
