İSTANBUL - The main opposition party's provincial head for İstanbul was sentenced to 9 years and 8 months in prison for various offenses, including terrorist propaganda and insulting the president.

 

An appeals court has upheld the prison sentence of Canan Kaftancıoğlu, the İstanbul Provincial Chair of the Republican People's Party (CHP).

 

Kaftancıoğlu stood trial over her tweets from seven years ago on multiple charges, including "publicly degrading the state of the Republic of Turkey," "insulting a public official because of his/her duty," "insulting the president," "inciting people to animosity and hatred," and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization."

 

İstanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court had sentenced her to 9 years, 8 months and 20 days in prison for those charges. İstanbul Regional Court of Justice, the court of appeal, upheld the sentence today (June 23). The verdict came on the first anniversary of the CHP's win in the repeat election for İstanbul mayor.

 

Kaftancıoğlu has the right to appeal the decision at the Court of Cassation.

 

BACKGROUND 

 

After it was reported in the news that "the teams of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality demolished the illegal construction carried out by Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun on an estate that he has rented in the Zone with View to Bosphorus," an investigation was launched against the related media outlets for using the address and photograph of the house.

 

Shortly afterwards, another investigation has been launched against three people, including CHP Üsküdar District Chair Suat Özçağdaş, in relation with the photographing of Altun's house in Kuzguncuk, İstanbul.

 

Summoned to depose by phone, Özçağdaş and the two others deposed to the prosecutor's office and they were released pending trial.

 

The attorneys of Altun have also filed a complaint against CHP İstanbul Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu over her social media posts about Özçağdaş.

 

Examining the petition, the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation against Kaftancıoğlu, accusing her of "praising the crime and criminal" and "instigating to violate privacy."

 

As reported by ANKA News Agency, Canan Katancıoğlu has been facing this investigation over a tweet of hers from April 21, 2020. In that tweet, Kaftancıoğlu mentioned a news report by pro-government Sabah newspaper entitled "New provocation from the CHP" and said:

 

"Very soon will you drown in your immorality and lies... Fulfilling his duty and obeying the instruction of his party, CHP district chair went there to check the estate where construction is forbidden and he will go there again. Those who have something to hide get panicked. Calm down, boys."