İstanbul mayor remanded in custody on corruption charges

A court has remanded İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in custody on charges related to financial misconduct, while ruling that his arrest was not necessary in the terrorism-related investigation.

The decision came after more than 12 hours of proceedings. Prosecutors had sought the mayor's formal arrest on both terrorism and corruption charges.

Since İmamoğlu was arrested on corruption charges rather than terrorism-related ones, any potential suspension from office could lead to the city council electing a deputy mayor. While Turkish law grants the Interior Ministry the authority to suspend mayors and appoint trustees, in practice, mayors facing charges unrelated to terrorism are sometimes replaced through internal elections within municipal councils. In contrast, those facing terrorism charges are typically replaced directly by government-appointed trustees.

The verdict for the mayor's arrest began circulating in pro-government news outlets before it was officially delivered to İmamoğlu in the courtroom, according to his lawyers.

Meanwhile, İmamoğlu is expected to be declared the CHP's presidential candidate for the 2028 elections, with a party primary scheduled for today. The CHP previously announced that it would proceed with the primary regardless of the court’s decision.

Following the court ruling, Ekrem İmamoğlu shared a defiant message via his lawyers on social media, saying, "Fear will not delay the inevitable. You’ll be defeated one way or another. You’ll lose to our righteousness, our courage, our humility, and our smile. My dear nation, never be sad, never lose hope. We will cast out this blow to our democracy, this stain, together."

İmamoğlu also called on the public to parcipate in the CHP's primary to "show the world our fight for democracy and justice."

"I am standing tall. I will never bow down. Everything will be fine," the message read.

Court proceedings

İmamoğlu and 91 other suspects were brought to the İstanbul Courthouse yesterday evening. There are two separate investigations into the suspects, one for "aiding a terrorist organization," and the other involving alleged misconduct in municipal companies, including bribery, fraud, extortion, and bid rigging. The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office accuses İmamoğlu of leading a criminal organization for profit.

The terror investigation primarily concerns the cooperation between İmamoğlu's Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party in last year's local election. As part of this cooperation, referred to as the "urban consensus," some municipal council candidates from DEM ran on the CHP lists. 

Prosecutors alleged that some of these council members, several of whom are currently under arrest, were members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party's  (PKK). In response to the accusation, İmamoğlu said, “If individuals identified in 2022 appeared on these lists in 2024, they should have been removed. Instead, legal proceedings for alleged PKK membership were only launched against these council members about seven months after the election."

“I see this as a deliberate effort to discredit us. Either the Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) failed to do its job, or the investigations being conducted are not fair," said the mayor.

The prosecution also alleged that the “intense and constant” contact between municipal officials and Azad Barış, head of the Spektrum House polling company, demonstrated the mayor’s ties to terrorism. In its request to the court, the prosecution described Barış as a "senior figure responsible for the  political operations." 

Barış is among the suspects in the investigation but reportedly left the country before he could be apprehended.

Along with İmamoğlu, İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality's deputy general secretary Mahir Polat, Şişli district mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, and Mehmet Ali Çalışkan, director of the NGO Reform Institute, also faced terrorism accusations and were eventually arrested. 

'No evidence other than secret witness testimonies'

Security around the courthouse was heavily reinforced as the suspects were brought for questioning by prosecutors, with police deploying barricades and armored vehicles. Access to the building was restricted, and lawyers representing several suspects reported being denied entry. Clashes broke out between police and lawyers attempting to reach the courthouse.

While İmamoğlu was being questioned by prosecutors, his earlier testimony given at the police headquarters was made public. In his 121-page statement, İmamoğlu denied the accusations. The questions directed at him suggest that most of the allegations are based on secret witness statements rather than concrete evidence. CHP leader Özgür Özel emphasized this during a press conference, asserting, “There is not a single piece of evidence."

The mayor was detained on Mar 19 along with dozens of municipal officials. The detentions triggered nationwide protests and drew strong reactions from the opposition party, which has denounced the investigation as a "coup" against an elected leader.

The İstanbul Governor’s Office earlier extended a ban on all demonstrations in the city until Mar 27 and imposed restrictions on entry and exit, citing concerns over public order. Despite the ban, nightly protests have continued with massive attendance in the Saraçhane square in front of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality building.

Explained: The broader context behind Turkey’s crackdown on İstanbul mayor

20 March 2025

Profile: Ekrem İmamoğlu, İstanbul mayor and Erdoğan’s key rival sent behind bars

19 March 2025