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Correction: He is not jailed. The local courts have sentenced him, but it's not final and there is an appeal process that will take some time (most likely a yea

Correction: He is not jailed. The local courts have sentenced him, but it's not final and there is an appeal process that will take some time (most likely a year according to his lawyer). He'll not be jailed and will continue to be the mayor during that time. What makes this really newsworthy is he is one of the major candidates of the opposition for the upcoming presidential election in 2023.

seydor 4y ago
How hard is it for him to run in elections?
- terminalcommand 4y ago
  He will probably run unless Erdogan can influence the court of cassation. But he would not have run if not sentenced, because he is not the president of the opposition party (CHP). Some say government pulled this off (courts follow the orders of Erdogan) to force the hand of the opposition to appoint the Istanbul mayor as presedential candidate. This can cause turmoil within the opposition leaders. Erdogan may be trying to achieve this. He also tests his power and the public's reaction. If the public cannot react to this and he can influence the court of cassation, he will secure his position as a dictator for life. He was able to influence the court of cassation in previous cases, however this is a major case. We all hope that his power is not strong enough to influence the high court on this matter by ordering them to approve such a baseless claim.
  - k__ 4y ago
    Do you think he could win against Erdogan?
    - terminalcommand 4y ago
      The polls point out to such outcome.
  - mclightning 4y ago
    >> force the hand of the opposition to appoint the Istanbul mayor as presedential candidate. how is this in favour of erdogan? mayor has better chance of winning than kemal.
    - terminalcommand 4y ago
      Opposition will fight from within, they will resist appointing the mayor. They'll lose blood and it will cause turmoil.
      - mclightning 4y ago
        ahh... I forgot Turkey has a dysfunctional opposition party. I sometimes, wonder, perhaps with an opposition like that, this is what they deserve...
- hakanderyal 4y ago
  The sentence also includes a ban from public positions, so if the courts decision is not overturned by appeals court, he can't legally run. With elections this close, there is no telling what might happen. If the appeals takes a long time, he can run, be elected, then removed from presidency. Or he might run, but the appeals courts can finalize the decision after the cutoff for candidate applications. Or the appeals court might overturn, and things will go back to "normal". We can only speculate till the courts makes its final decision.
  - notlukesky 4y ago
    He can run for President. The Presidential elections are apparently before the appeal and finalization of his court case. And he will never be jailed. Absurdly in Turkey you don’t go to jail if the sentence is below 3 years. So there is no actual jail sentence at all. And the politics ban ruling will not happen till after the elections. So he can run in the Presidential elections.
    - hakanderyal 4y ago
      Technically, yes. But the thread of the ban will have a great effect on the process. Also, appeals court technically can make it's decision before the election AFAIK.
- drexlspivey 4y ago
  When he won the mayor election in Istanbul the election board ordered a re-run of the election (and then he won again) https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/06/middleeast/turkey-istanbul-mayor-recount-intl/index.html https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/06/middleeast/turkey-istanbu...

seydor 4y ago

How hard is it for him to run in elections?

terminalcommand 4y ago
He will probably run unless Erdogan can influence the court of cassation. But he would not have run if not sentenced, because he is not the president of the opposition party (CHP). Some say government pulled this off (courts follow the orders of Erdogan) to force the hand of the opposition to appoint the Istanbul mayor as presedential candidate. This can cause turmoil within the opposition leaders. Erdogan may be trying to achieve this. He also tests his power and the public's reaction. If the public cannot react to this and he can influence the court of cassation, he will secure his position as a dictator for life. He was able to influence the court of cassation in previous cases, however this is a major case. We all hope that his power is not strong enough to influence the high court on this matter by ordering them to approve such a baseless claim.
- k__ 4y ago
  Do you think he could win against Erdogan?
  - terminalcommand 4y ago
    The polls point out to such outcome.
- mclightning 4y ago
  >> force the hand of the opposition to appoint the Istanbul mayor as presedential candidate. how is this in favour of erdogan? mayor has better chance of winning than kemal.
  - terminalcommand 4y ago
    Opposition will fight from within, they will resist appointing the mayor. They'll lose blood and it will cause turmoil.
    - mclightning 4y ago
      ahh... I forgot Turkey has a dysfunctional opposition party. I sometimes, wonder, perhaps with an opposition like that, this is what they deserve...
hakanderyal 4y ago
The sentence also includes a ban from public positions, so if the courts decision is not overturned by appeals court, he can't legally run. With elections this close, there is no telling what might happen. If the appeals takes a long time, he can run, be elected, then removed from presidency. Or he might run, but the appeals courts can finalize the decision after the cutoff for candidate applications. Or the appeals court might overturn, and things will go back to "normal". We can only speculate till the courts makes its final decision.
- notlukesky 4y ago
  He can run for President. The Presidential elections are apparently before the appeal and finalization of his court case. And he will never be jailed. Absurdly in Turkey you don’t go to jail if the sentence is below 3 years. So there is no actual jail sentence at all. And the politics ban ruling will not happen till after the elections. So he can run in the Presidential elections.
  - hakanderyal 4y ago
    Technically, yes. But the thread of the ban will have a great effect on the process. Also, appeals court technically can make it's decision before the election AFAIK.
drexlspivey 4y ago
When he won the mayor election in Istanbul the election board ordered a re-run of the election (and then he won again) https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/06/middleeast/turkey-istanbul-mayor-recount-intl/index.html https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/06/middleeast/turkey-istanbu...