A leading secular politician in Turkey, Canan Kaftancioglu, has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison on charges of terror propaganda and insulting the state. The 47-year-old head of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in Istanbul was convicted mainly over tweets dating back several years.
Kaftancioglu, who played a key role in the CHP's victory in Istanbul's mayoral election in June, has said the charges were politically motivated. She remains free pending an appeal. The court sentenced her to nine years, eight months and 20 days in prison for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish state, as well as spreading terror propaganda.
The charges related to tweets about 2013 anti-government protests and the outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK). The hashtag #TurkiyeSeninleCananBaskan (Turkey Stands With You, Chief Canan) trended online during the trial.
Speaking after the verdict, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who defeated the AKP candidate in a re-run election in June, said: 'There is no justice in this country. In Turkey, instead of listening to their conscience, judges look towards the palace.' He added that Kaftancioglu was sentenced 'because of her success in Istanbul elections.'
