Fears of pre-election crackdown in Turkey as appeals court confirms charges against Canan Kaftancıoğlu of CHP
An Istanbul appeals court on Thursday confirmed three charges against
Canan Kaftancıoğlu, the head of the Istanbul branch of the main
opposition Republican People’s party (CHP), upholding her convictions
for insulting a public official, publicly insulting the republic of
Turkey, and insulting the president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in tweets accusing him of theft.
Kaftancıoğlu, an outspoken, motorbike-riding leftist, is thought to have played a central role in helping the CHP win
the Istanbul mayoral race in 2019, granting it control of Turkey’s
largest city. The CHP candidate, Ekrem İmamoğlu, won the seat twice
after the AKP demanded a re-run of the vote when its candidate first
lost.
“For Erdoğan this is about the risk of the opposition continuing to
organise effectively with figures like Kaftancıoğlu, who put together a
masterful campaign to protect the vote and denied the AKP a repeat
victory in 2019,” said Soner Cagaptay, an analyst for the Washington
Institute for Near East Policy.
The CHP was
defiant after the ruling. “If Canan Kaftancıoğlu is banned, there are
tens of thousands of Canans who will be on duty during the elections at
the poll stations,” said Ünal Çeviköz, a CHP member and retired
diplomat.
A court in
Istanbul is expected to rule on charges against İmamoğlu in early June.
He also faces a ban on political activity and could be jailed over
claims he insulted the election officials who cancelled his initial win
in 2019. If convicted, the ruling would sideline one of the CHP’s
potential presidential candidates.
This makes sense in a dictatorship.
There is also a pending trial for Imamoglou too, right?
Not anti-Erdoğan tweets. She taunted with Turkish soldiers who are in duty and openly supported PKK and it’s allies through Twitter. This is considered “Sympathy for Terrorizm” because Turkey practically is in war with PKK for years and suffered many civillian and military losses. She should’ve been locked up earlier but also there are many more people on Erdoğan’s side as well who needs to be locked up because they were members of Gülen cult of Fettullah Gülen. (Gülen cult attempted a coup rising in July 15th 2016) Nearly no one likes Canan Kaftancıoğlu because of her disrespectful and treacherous tweets. She only has support from PKK sypathizans.
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Fears of pre-election crackdown in Turkey as appeals court confirms charges against Canan Kaftancıoğlu of CHP
An Istanbul appeals court on Thursday confirmed three charges against
Canan Kaftancıoğlu, the head of the Istanbul branch of the main
opposition Republican People’s party (CHP), upholding her convictions
for insulting a public official, publicly insulting the republic of
Turkey, and insulting the president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in tweets accusing him of theft.
Kaftancıoğlu, an outspoken, motorbike-riding leftist, is thought to have played a central role in helping the CHP win
the Istanbul mayoral race in 2019, granting it control of Turkey’s
largest city. The CHP candidate, Ekrem İmamoğlu, won the seat twice
after the AKP demanded a re-run of the vote when its candidate first
lost.
“For Erdoğan this is about the risk of the opposition continuing to
organise effectively with figures like Kaftancıoğlu, who put together a
masterful campaign to protect the vote and denied the AKP a repeat
victory in 2019,” said Soner Cagaptay, an analyst for the Washington
Institute for Near East Policy.
The CHP was
defiant after the ruling. “If Canan Kaftancıoğlu is banned, there are
tens of thousands of Canans who will be on duty during the elections at
the poll stations,” said Ünal Çeviköz, a CHP member and retired
diplomat.
A court in
Istanbul is expected to rule on charges against İmamoğlu in early June.
He also faces a ban on political activity and could be jailed over
claims he insulted the election officials who cancelled his initial win
in 2019. If convicted, the ruling would sideline one of the CHP’s
potential presidential candidates.
This makes sense in a dictatorship.
There is also a pending trial for Imamoglou too, right?
Not anti-Erdoğan tweets. She taunted with Turkish soldiers who are in duty and openly supported PKK and it’s allies through Twitter. This is considered “Sympathy for Terrorizm” because Turkey practically is in war with PKK for years and suffered many civillian and military losses. She should’ve been locked up earlier but also there are many more people on Erdoğan’s side as well who needs to be locked up because they were members of Gülen cult of Fettullah Gülen. (Gülen cult attempted a coup rising in July 15th 2016) Nearly no one likes Canan Kaftancıoğlu because of her disrespectful and treacherous tweets. She only has support from PKK sypathizans.