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.
The charges referred against İmamoğlu and their corresponding sentences:
- Article 220/7 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK): Knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization without being part of its hierarchical structure: 1 to 3 years in prison
- TCK 220/1: Establishing or leading an organization with the intent to commit crimes defined by law: 4 to 8 years in prison
- TCK 135: Unlawful recording of personal data: 1 to 3 years in prison
- TCK 252: Receiving bribes: 4 to 12 years in prison
'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.
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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.