Turkey: Erdogan’s Main Rival Faces 110 Years in Prison

By Staff, Agencies

Turkey’s opposition leader and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main rival in the last month’s elections, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, is facing 110 years in prison as well as a ban on political activities.

According to the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, 28 lawsuits were filed against the politician, some of which were initiated by Erdogan.

“Earlier, a number of lawsuits were suspended due to the fact that Kemal Kilicdaroglu has parliamentary immunity. Now they will be considered again since he was not elected to the new convocation,” reported Cumhuriyet.

According to the daily, representatives of the ruling Justice and Development Party initiated a criminal case on charges against the opposition candidate of insulting the president. The lawsuits relate to public statements made by Kilicdaroglu during the election campaign, in which he compared Erdogan to notorious political leaders of the past such as Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi, and Nicolae Ceausescu.

For most lawsuits, the sentence is up to four years. Overall, the ex-presidential candidate, who won 48 percent of the vote, can face 110 years in prison.

Moreover, if the claims are satisfied, Kilicdaroglu will be banned from participating in elections and engaging in political activities. He now heads the opposition Republican People’s Party.