A Turkish prosecutor has demanded that a court ban Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu from engaging in political activities, for insulting public officials. The court postponed the case until December, Reuters reported.

Imamoglu was on trial for a speech he made in 2019 about the annulled mayoral election that year, in which he called those who decided to run again fools.

According to opinion polls, Imamoglu would be a strong contender for Erdogan if he ran in next year's national elections.

The court adjourned the case to consider the defense counsel's motion for recusal of the judge. It set the next hearing for Dec. 14.

The crime of which Imamoglu is accused carries a maximum penalty of imprisonment of up to four years.