A trial has begun against Istanbul’s deposed mayor and Turkish opposition leader, Ekrem Imamoglu, who is accused of forging a university degree.A supporter holds a flag depicting Istanbul’s detained mayor, Ekrem İmamoglu, and the first president of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
Opposition supporters took to the streets in Turkey after Ekrem Imamoglu’s arrest

Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul’s jailed mayor, stood trial on Friday on charges of falsifying his university degree.

Imamoglu, who is being held in a prison 80 kilometers away from Istanbul, is accused of “repeated falsification of official documents” regarding his degree, according to official documents.

As he entered the courtroom, many spectators cheered, calling him “President Imamoglu.”

“What exactly is my crime here? What fraud?” he asked.

What did the opposition leader say?
According to Imamoglu, he had been accepted at age 18 by a university in the territory of Northern Cyprus, a Turkish-dominated region only recognized by Ankara, to study a degree that he later transferred to Istanbul University to complete.

Imamoglu said this was in line with Turkey’s Council of Higher Education (YOK) regulations.

“This is the level of absurdity in the indictment: next they might even claim the TRNC does not exist just so my degree can be revoked,” he added.

The prosecution is seeking a jail term of up to eight years and nine months and a ban on political activities.

The court hearing took some seven hours, with the next hearing being set for October 20.