Prosecutors seek up to 15 years for ousted Esenyurt mayor
ISTANBUL
Prosecutors have requested a prison sentence ranging from seven and a half years to 15 years for Ahmet Özer, the ousted mayor of Istanbul’s Esenyurt district, on terrorism charges.
Özer, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), faces charges of “membership in an armed terrorist organization." He also faces a separate tender fraud probe as part of a broader investigation targeting CHP-run municipalities.
The request came during the third hearing of Özer’s first case on Nov. 3, when the prosecutor’s office presented its opinion on the merits. Özer was initially arrested last October in a terrorism-related investigation tied to his election campaign and was removed from office, replaced by a government-appointed trustee.
He was later released in that case but remained in custody in connection with the tender fraud investigation.
CHP lawmaker Murat Emir criticized the prosecutor’s request, saying it “contradicts the political climate in the country.”
"While Parliament speaks of ‘social peace,’ seeking 15 years for Esenyurt Mayor Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özer in the urban reconciliation case is not peace, but a contradiction," he wrote on X.
Earlier this month, Özer’s lawyer submitted a petition to the court demanding his release, citing expert reports and statements from co-defendants asserting that no crime had occurred.
At a rally in Esenyurt on Oct. 30, CHP leader Özgür Özel criticized what he called the unlawful extension of Özer’s detention.
“Of course, our friends will one day come and embrace Esenyurt to bring Turks and Kurds arm in arm,” Özel said. “One day, not too far away, Ahmet Özer will be released.”
