ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu’s trial on charges that he faked his university degree was postponed on Monday after a clash between lawyers over the courtroom’s size. The next hearing was scheduled for December 8, Turkish media reported.

Immamoglu, considered the most potent rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was nominated as candidate for the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) at the 2028 elections.

The skirmish over the courtroom’s size delayed his lawyers, according to Turkish media reports, which made Imamoglu not want to make an appearance at the hearing. He was forcibly made to appear in court despite this, leading to his family leaving the courtroom in protest, AFP reported.

“I've been unlawfully detained for nearly eight months,” Imamoglu said in court, adding, “Many of our lawyers were unable to enter. It would have been impossible for me to present my defense here without my lawyers.”

The judge denied not allowing the lawyers to enter, claiming that they did not want to join, Turkish media said.

The former Istanbul mayor is facing multiple charges, including including bribery, extortion, money laundering, and aiding the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). He was detained alongisde dozens of colleagues on March 18, 2024. 

Imamoglu's arrest sparked large demonstrations across the country, with clashes breaking out between protesters and security forces who used tear gas and water cannons to quell the protests.

According to Istanbul University, he should never have received his degree because his first two years of studies were at a university in Northern Cyprus, which was not recognized by the Turkish Council of Higher Education at the time, , a move the CHP described as a political “coup”.

If Imamoglu is found guilty, he may serve a sentence of up to eight years and nine months in prison.