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ISTANBUL: Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu appeared in a prison courtroom Friday over claims he fraudulently obtained his university diploma, marking the first hearing in a case that triggered nationwide protests earlier this year.
Imamoglu was greeted with cheering and applause as he entered the courtroom in Silivri Prison, west of Istanbul, on Friday. His family, senior opposition politicians and former university classmates were present for the hearing, according to media reports.
The prosecution is demanding a prison sentence of between 2½ years and 8¾ years and a political ban for alleged forgery of official documents.
Istanbul University nullified Imamoglu’s diploma in March, citing alleged irregularities in his 1990 transfer from a private university in northern Cyprus. In response, students faced down police in support of the mayor.
Imamoglu was arrested the following day on claims of corruption and terror links, which led to hundreds of thousands flooding the streets in Turkiye’s largest protests in more than a decade. He has been behind bars ever since.
Imamoglu is the main political threat to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 22-year rule. He was selected as the presidential candidate for Turkiye’s main opposition CHP party shortly after his arrest. In Turkiye, possessing a degree is a prerequisite to becoming president, making his university diploma essential to his challenge to Erdogan.
Silivri Prison, formally known as Marmara Closed Penal Institution, also holds several members of the CHP who have been detained as part of a widespread crackdown on opponents over the past year.
Alongside the diploma case, Imamoglu faces at least seven other criminal cases that could see him banned from politics.
The CHP says the allegations are part of a government offensive to nullify the opposition and clear the way for another five years in office for Erdogan. The government denies the claims and says Turkiye’s courts are independent.
In a separate case due to be heard Monday, a court is expected to rule on whether to annul the CHP’s 2023 Congress, a decision that could change the party’s leadership and send it into disarray.
Imamoglu was elected mayor of Turkiye’s largest city in March 2019. His win was a historic blow to Erdogan and the president’s Justice and Development Party, which pushed to void the municipal election results in the city of 16 million, alleging irregularities.
The challenge resulted in a repeat of the election a few months later, which Imamoglu won by a much greater margin.
The mayor retained his seat following local elections last year, during which the CHP made significant gains against the governing party.

NEW YORK: The UN General Assembly will vote on Friday whether to back the “New York Declaration,” a resolution which seeks to breathe new life into the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine -- without the involvement of Hamas.

Although Israel has criticized UN bodies for nearly two years over their failure to condemn Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023, the declaration, presented by France and ��������, leaves no ambiguity.

Formally called the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, the text states “Hamas must free all hostages” and that the UN General Assembly condemns “the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians on the 7th of October.

It also calls for “collective action to end the war in Gaza, to achieve a just, peaceful and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the effective implementation of the Two-State solution.”

The declaration, which was already endorsed by the Arab League and co-signed in July by 17 UN member states, including several Arab countries, also goes further than condemning Hamas, seeking to fully excise them from leadership in Gaza.

“In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State,” the declaration states.

The vote precedes an upcoming UN summit co-chaired by Riyadh and Paris on September 22 in New York, in which French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to formally recognize the Palestinian state.

Shield against criticism

“The fact that the General Assembly is finally backing a text that condemns Hamas directly is significant,” even if “Israelis will say it is far too little, far too late,” Richard Gowan, UN Director at the International Crisis Group, told AFP.

“Now at least states supporting the Palestinians can rebuff Israeli accusations that they implicitly condone Hamas,” he said, adding that it “offers a shield against Israeli criticism.”

In addition to Macron, several other leaders have announced their intent to formally recognize the Palestinian state during the UN summit.

The gestures are seen as a means of increasing pressure on Israel to end the war in Gaza, which was triggered by the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.

The New York Declaration includes discussion of a “deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission” to the battered region under the mandate of the UN Security Council, aiming to support the Palestinian civilian population and facilitate security responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority.

Around three-quarters of the 193 UN member states recognize the Palestinian state proclaimed in 1988 by the exiled Palestinian leadership.

However, after two years of war have ravaged the Gaza Strip, in addition to expanded Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the stated desire by Israeli officials to annex the territory, fears have been growing that the existence of an independent Palestinian state will soon become impossible.

“We are going to fulfill our promise that there will be no Palestinian state,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Thursday.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile, may be prevented from visiting New York for the UN summit after US authorities said they would deny him a visa.

The long road to Palestinian statehood

An Arab News Deep Dive

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