Istanbul, Apr 11 (AP) Istanbul's jailed opposition mayor appeared in court on Friday in one of multiple cases against him.

Hundreds of supporters gathered outside Silivri prison, west of Istanbul, where the hearing was taking place.

Also Read | Trump Tariffs: Will Trade War Hasten US, China Decoupling?.

Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has been held at Silivri since March 23. The case alleges that he threatened a public prosecutor and is one of six that predate his arrest last month, which led to nationwide protests.

Addressing the judge, Imamoglu said he was in court because he had won three elections against the person “who thinks he owns Istanbul”, a reference to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who launched his political career as the city's mayor in the 1990s.

Also Read | Google Layoffs: Tech Giant Sacks Hundreds of Employees From Divisions Handling Android Software, Pixel Phones and Chrome Browser, Says Report.

Erdogan was heavily involved in backing his party's candidates against Imamoglu.

The hearing was attended by Imamoglu's wife and son, as well as lawmakers from the Republican People's Party, or CHP, Halk TV and other outlets reported. The case was adjourned to June 16.

The mayor, who is also the main opposition challenger to Erdogan's 22-year rule at the next election, faces more than seven years in prison and a political ban for allegedly “targeting, threatening and insulting persons working in the fight against terrorism”.

The charge stems from comments he made on January 20 in which he criticised Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akin Gurlek over criminal cases brought against other opposition figures.

Imamoglu was arrested on March 19 in relation to two investigations, one focusing on corruption in the Istanbul municipality and another alleging terrorism links in his party's electoral pact with pro-Kurdish politicians.

Demonstrations calling for his release and an end to Turkiye's democratic backsliding under Erdogan led to some 2,000 people being detained for attending protests banned by the authorities.

The mayor was officially nominated as the CHP presidential candidate while in custody. An election is due to be held in 2028 but may come sooner, and Imamoglu's imprisonment has been widely viewed as politically motivated although the government insists Turkiye's judiciary is independent and free of political influence.

Also Friday, two other courts in Istanbul were also holding hearings on cases against Imamoglu.

One is a bid-rigging case that dates back 10 years, when he was mayor of Istanbul's Beylikduzu district. The other alleges illegal donation collection and stems from a video circulated in the runup to last year's local elections showing CHP staff counting bundles of cash. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)