The first hearing in the case against former Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, filed against him for his threats and insults about Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gurlek and his family, was held today.

Axar.az informs he court session lasted 40 minutes.

Ekrem Imamoglu rejected the charges brought against him.

"I see the Turkish flag and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk looking at me. It is absurd to associate me with terrorism. It is shameful, pitiful, and wrong. My stance is clear on the three charges. Of course, I trust the high Turkish court. I don't even want to think that the investigation was not conducted properly, that the statements were not examined, or that they were written with bad intentions, but what has happened is incomprehensible. I do not accept any of the three charges," Imamoglu emphasized.

Attendees included Imamoglu’s legal team, his wife Dilek Imamoglu, representatives from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the lawyer representing Prosecutor Gurlek, and Imamoglu himself, who is currently held in pre-trial detention as part of another ongoing case.