Istanbul Mayor Faces Corruption Trial with 142 Charges, Possible 2,000-Year Sentence

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and 402 co-defendants appeared in court on Monday (9 March) in a major corruption case. The opposition leader, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, faces 142 charges in what critics call a politically motivated effort to suppress the opposition.

Imamoglu has been in prison for nearly a year. In March last year, he was arrested, yet while still incarcerated, his Republican People’s Party (CHP) nominated him as their candidate for the 2028 presidential election.

Most of the 402 accused are employees of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, which Imamoglu has led since 2019. Many are CHP officials, and a few journalists are also among them.

Following his arrest last March, Turkey saw weeks of street protests—the largest in a decade.

The 3,900-page indictment accuses Imamoglu of forming the “Imamoglu Criminal Organization for Profit” since 2015, when he was mayor of Beylikdüzü district. Prosecutors claim the group engaged in tender rigging and bribery, while also funding Imamoglu’s rise within CHP—ultimately positioning him as a presidential contender.

If convicted on all charges, Imamoglu could face over 2,000 years in prison. Additional allegations include terrorism, espionage, using a fake diploma, and insulting public officials. Conviction could also bar him from politics.

Critics argue the cases against CHP figures—especially mayors of major cities—are politically driven. In late 2024, Akin Gürlek, previously deputy justice minister, became Istanbul’s chief prosecutor and launched multiple investigations into CHP leaders. He later returned to government as justice minister.

Opposition supporters highlight the use of secret witnesses (whose identities are hidden even from defense lawyers) and pressure on co-defendants to testify against others, calling it a violation of fair trial rights.

The government insists Turkey’s judiciary is independent and impartial.

The scale and length of the trial have prompted authorities to build a new courthouse in Istanbul’s Silivri prison complex—where Imamoglu and many defendants are held. Until it is completed, hearings will take place in an overcrowded courtroom inside the prison.

Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia deputy director Benjamin Ward described the cases as “criminal justice being weaponized for political ends,” aimed at sidelining Imamoglu and discrediting CHP.