Mahir Polat, deputy secretary general of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, was transferred to a hospital for the third time since his detention on Mar 23 as part of ongoing investigations which led to the detention of 51 officials including İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
Polat’s lawyer Erkam Erdem announced on social media that his client had been transferred to a hospital again, although the specific facility had not been confirmed at the time.
“Mr. Mahir is being transferred to the hospital. The initial information suggests this is not an emergency transfer, but for a medical evaluation. A board is expected to assess his condition at the hospital located within the prison campus,” Erdem wrote.
Erdem had visited Polat the night before and raised concerns over his client’s condition. “There is a serious risk that he could suffer a brain hemorrhage,” he said.
Mahir Polat as a cultural figure
Longstanding health issues
Polat has a history of severe health conditions, including hypertension and blocked coronary arteries. In recent months, he has undergone four angiograms, has six stents, and is still under monitoring for two arteries.
“Hypertension is causing permanent damage to his heart, brain, and kidneys. The risk of a heart attack or brain hemorrhage is constantly present,” Erdem said.
Last week, Polat suffered two hypertensive crises while in prison. His blood pressure was measured at 18/12 during the first incident and 24/11 during the second. Due to insufficient resources at the prison’s medical facility, he was transferred to external hospitals on both occasions. During the second visit, doctors at Mehmet Akif Ersoy Hospital performed another angiogram and found slow blood flow and plaque buildup in capillaries.
Following the procedure, Polat was kept in intensive care for observation and discharged with additional medication before returning to prison. However, his blood pressure issues have persisted. His condition is monitored daily, and he is frequently required to take medication and rest.
Call for release due to deteriorating health
Erdem stressed that Polat avoids requesting hospital transfers unless absolutely necessary, due to the difficult conditions of such transfers, which involve one hour of travel in handcuffs and closed vehicles. However, his blood pressure has again risen to levels requiring hospital care.
“Being discharged from the hospital does not mean his health has improved,” Erdem noted. “Hypertension continues to damage his organs. We hope this process concludes without causing lasting harm and that he is released as soon as possible.”
Polat’s legal team and MPs from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) continue to push for his release on health grounds, citing the risk posed by continued incarceration under current medical conditions.
Statement from justice minister
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç issued a statement later in the day, dismissing claims of any negligence regarding Polat's medical situation.
Polat is carefully monitored by doctors and has been referred to the Forensic Medicine Institution in accordance with the decision of the health board of the Marmara Prison, Tunç said in a statement on social media.
"In all these processes, all controls of the detainee are carried out completely in line with the reports of the physicians treating him. Claims to the contrary do not reflect the truth," he wrote.
Background
İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and dozens of others, most of them municipal officials, were detained in police raids on the morning of Mar 19. The operation came just days before İmamoğlu was expected to be declared the Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate in the party’s presidential primary scheduled for Mar 23.
Authorities have launched two separate investigations involving a total of 106 suspects. One centers on terrorism-related charges, while the other involves alleged corruption.
The terrorism probe focuses on the CHP’s cooperation with the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party during last year’s local elections. The two parties collaborated at the district level, with DEM refraining from fielding candidates in some areas to support the CHP, while in other districts, DEM members ran on CHP lists and were elected to municipal councils. This strategy, dubbed the “urban consensus,” helped the CHP win 26 out of İstanbul’s 39 district municipalities and secure a majority in the metropolitan council.
Prosecutors allege that this alliance was orchestrated by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), citing public statements by PKK leaders during the campaign urging cooperation with the opposition. The first arrest linked to the investigation was Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, a Kurdish academic, who was jailed and removed from office in January. Ten more officials from six district municipalities were arrested in February. The investigation has since expanded to include İmamoğlu.
The corruption investigation, which affects 100 of the 106 suspects, involves allegations of bribery, embezzlement, fraud, and bid rigging in municipal subsidiaries. İmamoğlu is accused of leading a criminal organization for profit.
The CHP has described the operation as a "coup" against an elected mayor and called for public demonstrations. Saraçhane Square, in front of the metropolitan municipality building, has become the focal point of protests, where CHP leader Özgür Özel addresses large crowds each evening.
University students have also staged protests in various cities. While most gatherings have remained peaceful, clashes between demonstrators and police have led to daily detentions. Dozens more have been detained in home raids linked to the protests.
Authorities imposed internet restrictions on the morning of İmamoğlu’s detention, severely slowing access to major social media and messaging platforms. The bandwidth throttling, which rendered many apps nearly unusable, lasted for around 42 hours.
Additionally, the Interior Ministry has detained numerous individuals over protest-related posts on social media. Court orders have blocked access to various leftist and student group accounts.
On Mar 23, İmamoğlu was remanded in custody on corruption-related charges while the court ruled an arrest for terrorism-related charges was not necessary. A total of 51 people were remanded in custody, 48 on accusations related to financial misconduct and three to terrorism. Those who were arrested in the terrorism investigation are Mahir Polat, deputy secretary-general of the Metropolitan Municipality, and mayor and deputy mayor of the Şişli district. Forty-eight other suspects were released on judicial control measures.
Explained: The broader context behind Turkey’s crackdown on İstanbul mayor
(TY/VK)
