ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s state-run news agency says a court has sentenced the leader of the Istanbul branch of Turkey’s main opposition party to nearly 10 years in prison over a series of tweets.
Anadolu Agency says the court in Istanbul on Friday found Canan Kaftancioglu, who heads the secular Republican People’s Party in the city, guilty of insulting state institutions and the nation’s president as well as of engaging in terrorist propaganda.
Kaftancioglu had denied the accusations and insisted her trial was politically motivated. She is expected to appeal the verdict.
The politician helped deliver a stunning victory for her colleague Ekrem Imamoglu in mayoral elections in Istanbul, dealing a blow to Erdogan.
Large crowds gathered outside the courthouse in Istanbul in a show of solidarity and protested the verdict.
The Associated Press
