Who is Janan Khaftanzulo for whom thousands of people came on the streets of Istanbul?

Janan Khaftanzolu denies the allegations against her and calls them political

Thousands take to the streets in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, led by prominent opposition leader Janan Khaftanzulo.

Khaftanzulo heads the Istanbul branch of the Secular Republican People's Party (CHP). He encouraged the people by smiling at the meeting on Saturday.

He was convicted of insulting Turkey and its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

The sentence of the 50-year-old female leader is currently pending. He was sentenced about 10 years ago for posting on Twitter.

'Political Matters'

Khaftanzolu has repeatedly said that the allegations against him are politically motivated.

In 2019, the CHP won a landslide victory in Istanbul's mayoral election, defeating President Erdogan's ruling AK Party. It is said that Khaftanzolu played a key role in this victory. 

At a rally on Saturday, people held up a portrait of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey.

Following the failed coup in 2016, President Erdogan has been accused by Western countries and human rights groups of suppressing the judiciary and other government institutions. 

In 2019, Janan Khaftanzulo was sentenced to a total of nine years, eight months and 20 days in prison.

However, on his appeal, the sentence was reduced to five years. 

Under Turkish law, sentences of less than five years are usually suspended. 

Janan Khaftanzulo played a key role in the mayoral election 

Who is Khaftanzulo?

The head of the CHP in Istanbul, Kheftanzolo, is accused of "insulting" the Turkish nation and President Erdogan through his social media posts almost 10 years ago. He was also charged with "spreading terrorist propaganda."

The allegations stem from anti-government protests in 2013 and the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party. 

As head of the CHP in Istanbul, Khaftanzulo was instrumental in Ikram Imamolo's victory.

With this victory, the AK Party's 25-year rule in Istanbul came to an end and Imamolo became the new mayor.

The mayoral election was seen as a kind of referendum against President Erdogan's government. 

It should be noted that Erdogan has been the permanent Prime Minister or President of Turkey since 2003. He himself has said that "whoever wins Istanbul wins Turkey."