Turkish prosecutors on Friday sought to jail Istanbul's mayor for at least 15 months, which would bar him from politics, over a remark he made after defeating an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in elections, his lawyer said.
Ekrem Imamoglu, a member of the main opposition social democratic party CHP, did not appear at the latest hearing of the controversial trial on Friday, which was adjourned until December 14, said AFP.
As tensions simmer seven months ahead of presidential and legislative elections, Imamoglu, 52, faces charges of "insulting" public officials after being stripped of his narrow March 2019 win over the ruling party's candidate to become mayor.
