(Bloomberg) -- Turkish prosecutors are seeking life in prison for prominent businessman Osman Kavala and 15 other suspects charged with seeking to overthrow the government in 2013 protests that rocked the country.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described Kavala as the “local collaborator” of a
foreign conspiracy led by billionaire George Soros to divide Turkey by backing the so-called Gezi Park rallies. The protests swelled from a demonstration against plans to raze a park in central Istanbul to the biggest political challenge that then-Prime Minister Erdogan had faced against his rule.
Erdogan Joins Vilification of Soros With Gezi Protests Claim
Kavala has been jailed for more than a year. Now a Turkish court is expected to decide whether to hear the case against him and other suspects, including actor Mehmet Ali Alabora and journalist Can Dundar, who have both left the country.
To contact the reporter on this story: Selcan Hacaoglu in Ankara at shacaoglu@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Onur Ant at oant@bloomberg.net, Amy Teibel, Mark Williams
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
