Istanbul - A Turkish prosecutor has started an investigation of the Islamist mayor of Istanbul for allegedly insulting the state after being sentenced to a jail term for inciting religious hatred.
Once the investigation is complete, the prosecutor, Mr Hasan Eker, is expected to decide whether to file new charges against the mayor, Mr Tayyip Erdogan.
Mr Erdogan, who was sentenced to 10 months in jail on April 21st, for a speech in which he said: "Mosques are our barracks, the minarets our bayonets, the domes our helmets and the believers our soldiers." He is free pending appeal.
