Istanbul mayor fined for ‘insulting’ former governor of Ordu

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has been fined 7,080 Turkish Liras ($950) for "insulting" the former governor of Ordu province during a visit in 2019.

Put on trial on the ground of insulting the then-governor of Ordu, Seddar Yavuz, İmamoğlu was sentenced to pay a fine of 20 liras ($2,67) per day for 354 days at the seventh hearing of the case.

In 2019, İmamoğlu was under fire over the claims that he insulted the governor of the Black Sea province after the governor did not let him make an entrance from the VIP gate of the airport during his visit.

Commenting on the camera footage showing the dialogue between İmamoğlu and police officers on duty at the airport, the mayor said that his words were misinterpreted, while supporters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have urged him to apologize for his behavior.

A lawsuit was then filed against İmamoğlu over the remarks.

The mayor initially had to face six months to two years in prison on the charges of "insulting a public official due to his or her duty."