Clashes between citizens and gendarmerie delayed the start of a hearing in a case related to the university diploma of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was arrested in March and later removed from office, the Haberler website reported, BTA reports.
In March, Istanbul University revoked İmamoğlu's diploma, citing irregularities in his transfer from a university in Northern Cyprus. Shortly after, Turkish prosecutors launched an investigation against him for forging documents, seeking up to eight years and nine months in prison and a ban on political activity. The first hearing in the case was held in September, but the court postponed the decision until October 20.
Before today's hearing at the “Marmara“ prison in Silivri, tensions arose between a group of citizens and the gendarmerie. Some of the citizens overcame barriers and approached the front of the courtroom, and the gendarmerie's attempt to return them caused clashes. As a result, security measures were tightened and the entrances were temporarily closed, which postponed the start of the hearing.
The hearing is expected to begin once the situation calms down, Haberler said.
According to Turkish law, a university degree is one of the requirements for running for president. The main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), claims that the cancellation of the diploma and the case are deliberate attempts to block Imamoglu's path to the presidential race, notes the Hurriyet Daily News.
The detention of Imamoglu, who denies the charges, has sparked mass protests described as the largest in Turkey since 2013. At the same time, he was chosen as the CHP's official candidate for the 2028 presidential election, but the canceled diploma prevents him from running.