A Turkish court has dismissed a corruption case against the country’s main opposition party, the Social Democratic CHP, ruling that the case lacks merit.
The case sought to cancel the party’s 2023 congress, during which longtime leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu was ousted from office by CHP leader Ozgur Özel. There were allegations of vote buying and procedural violations.
However, the judge dismissed the suit, saying it had “no basis.”
It is expected that this decision will reduce the tension arising from the legal action against the party that has been going on for a year. After the verdict was announced, there was applause in the court room.
Why is CHP under investigation?
The CHP has denied the allegations.
Party officials say the legal action is a political attempt by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to use the judiciary to weaken the opposition. Erdogan is a member of the conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP).
The CHP made significant gains in last year’s local elections, and CHP-controlled municipalities faced a wave of arrests earlier this year.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, seen as a strong potential challenge to Erdogan after 22 years in power, is in pre-trial detention on corruption charges, which he denies.
State news agency Anadolu reported Friday that prosecutors in Istanbul have opened a new investigation against Imamoglu on espionage charges.
Erdogan’s government says Turkish courts are free from political influence.
Edited by: Louis Olofse