Turkish Court Upholds Prison Sentence for Opposition Leader

ISTANBUL—A Turkish court upheld a prison sentence for a prominent leader in the country’s largest opposition party, deepening a clampdown on opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the longtime leader faces a tough re-election next year.

The Court of Cassation in Ankara on Thursday approved an earlier sentence against Canan Kaftancioglu, the leader of the Istanbul branch of the Republican People’s Party (CHP). She was sentenced to four years and 11 months in prison on charges of insulting the Turkish Republic and defamation of a public official in connection with her social-media posts, some of which dated to 2013. She will also be banned from participating in politics for nearly five years.