[File photo]
A Thessaloniki court has granted a request from the Turkish authorities for the extradition of a Turkish national, who is accused of committing a murder in early 2019 in Istanbul.
The 41-year-old suspect, who is serving a six-year prison sentence for drug trafficking, denied the charges against him.
“I have no connection with the murder, nor do I know the victim,” he told the court, claiming that the charges are related to his political activities.
Through his lawyer, he stated that he is a member of the pro-Kurdish DEM party and participated in a large online campaign in support of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu last year.
The suspect said he would appeal his extradition order to the Supreme Court.
Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main rival, was arrested and jailed last month on corruption charges, in a move widely condemned as politically motivated.