Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, faces 142 criminal charges, including corruption, bribery, embezzlement, and espionage. Prosecutors accuse him of leading a criminal network that allegedly cost the state billions, seeking a sentence of more than 2,000 years. Imamoglu denies all allegations, calling them false and politically motivated. The government denies political interference.
ISTANBUL NOVEMBER 12: Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, one of Turkey’s most prominent opposition figures, faces 142 criminal charges, including corruption, bribery, embezzlement, and espionage. Prosecutors accuse him of leading a criminal network that allegedly cost the state billions, seeking a sentence of more than 2,000 years.
Imamoglu denies all allegations, calling them false and politically motivated. Arrested in March, his detention sparked nationwide protests. His allies say the case aims to block his potential 2028 presidential bid. The government denies political interference, saying the judiciary is independent. The trial has become a key test of Turkey’s political and judicial climate. The Istanbul mayor accuse the president and his allies of launching a crackdown in response to Erdogan’s decline in popularity.
The city’s chief prosecutor has targeted not just Imamoglu but 401 others, with allegations of running a criminal corruption network with the mayor as its “founder and leader”. The mayor’s detention in March triggered widespread protests, hundreds of arrests and a police crackdown.
Turkish authorities deny the mayor’s allegation that the judiciary is being used as a political tool. Party leader Özgür Özel wrote on X: “This case is not legal, it is entirely political. Its purpose is to stop the CHP, which came first in the last elections, and to block its presidential candidate.”
