Istanbul's jailed opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu went on trial Friday on charges of falsifying his university degree.
The mayor is a popular figure, regarded as the only politician capable of beating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the ballot box.
He was detained on March 19 and jailed several days later as part of a corruption investigation, a move that sparked Turkey's worst street protests in over a decade.
On the eve of his arrest, Istanbul University revoked his degree alleging it had been falsely obtained. Under the Turkish constitution, anyone who runs for president must have a higher education degree.
Imamoglu, the main opposition CHP's candidate for the 2028 presidential race, denounced the move as "unlawful" and vowed to fight it in court.
Friday's hearing took place at Silivri courthouse, which is attached to the prison where he is being held 80 kilometres (50 miles) west of Istanbul. Imamoglu is accused of "repeated falsification of official documents" in connection with alleged irregularities with his degree, according to legal documents.
As he walked into the court, many spectators began applauding and whistling, some chanting "President Imamoglu", according to footage posted online by a Sozcu TV reporter. AFP
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