Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into the leader of the country's main opposition party.

The case against Özgür Özel, chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), is the latest episode in the fierce struggle between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his opponents, which has sparked mass protests.

Prosecutors have launched an investigation into allegations that Yozgur Yozel threatened and insulted Istanbul's chief prosecutor Akın Gürlek, state television channel TRT reported.

Özgür Özel is accused of verbally attacking Gurek during a rally in Istanbul on Wednesday evening.

Gürlek is a former deputy justice minister accused by his opponents of persecuting Erdoğan's rivals through a series of cases launched after his appointment to the post in October.

The most prominent of these is the case against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan's main rival, whose arrest in March on controversial corruption charges sparked weeks of angry street protests.

Following Gürlek's appointment, eight CHP district mayors in Istanbul were also arrested and jailed, most on corruption charges.

The CHP made gains in local elections in 2024 at the expense of Erdogan's conservative Justice and Development Party.

In a post on X, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç condemned “threats against the judiciary,” calling Yozel's statements against Gürlek “unacceptable.” | BGNES