Official: Türkiye to take action against defamatory attacks on President Erdogan

Head of the Communications Directorate of the Turkish Presidential Administration, Fahrettin Altun, has announced that defamatory campaigns targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be actively addressed and countered.

Altun highlighted that certain political and ideological assessments were made without a full understanding of the ongoing investigation. These assessments included defamatory claims against President Erdogan, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Turkish official’s message on X.

"We will protect Erdogan's rights and stand against defamatory campaigns," Altun emphasised, reaffirming the government's commitment to combating false accusations.

He also reminded the public of the importance of respecting judicial decisions, calling for all segments of society to honour the rulings made by the courts.

"In this process, we will continue our fight against disinformation. We strongly urge our citizens to support this fight by being cautious about unverified and questionable content, and, as always, to trust the statements from official institutions," Altun said.

Earlier, Turkish police arrested Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the primary challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a series of dawn raids. These raids also led to the detainment of 100 others, including politicians, businesspeople, and municipal officials, who are accused of corruption and ties to terror organisations.

İmamoğlu was arrested alongside around 100 individuals, including key allies such as his chief spokesperson Murat Ongun, Tuncay Yılmaz, head of the İmamoğlu construction firm, and Fatih Keleş, head of the Istanbul municipality sports club. They face charges of corruption, embezzlement, and bribery. The Istanbul public prosecutor's office announced that İmamoğlu was charged as the leader of a criminal organisation, accused of extortion, fraud, and corruption. 

Prosecutors also allege that İmamoğlu and at least six others, including local officials, aided a terrorist organisation—specifically, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). İmamoğlu, long considered the main opposition figure able to challenge Erdogan's 22-year rule, had been participating in primaries for the Republican People’s Party (CHP), with many expecting him to be declared the opposition's candidate for the 2028 presidential election. Observers, however, anticipate the possibility of snap elections.

By Naila Huseynova