Banned from politics, Turkish opposition figure rejects new charge of insulting Erdogan

FILE PHOTO: Canan Kaftancioglu, chair of the main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) Istanbul branch, greets her supporters as she arrives at the party building in Istanbul, Turkey May 12, 2022. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The Istanbul head of Turkey's main opposition party, who cannot run in next year's elections but can still play a key role in rallying voters in the nation's biggest city, denied a new charge of insulting the president on Monday.

Canan Kaftancioglu was handed down a ban in June after Turkey's top appeals court upheld a five-year jail sentence against her on charges including insulting the president, meaning she cannot run as a candidate.