Trial of former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu begins

The first hearing in a criminal case against dismissed Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu will begin on Friday in Silivri.

This case focuses on Imamoglu’s remarks about Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akin Gurlek.

He is being charged with “targeting individuals involved in counterterrorism efforts,” but this is not the main legal case against him.

If convicted, Imamoglu could face up to seven years and four months in prison. Prosecutors are also seeking to strip him of his voting and candidacy rights and ban him from public office.

CHP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Gokhan Gunaydin announced the change of venue, saying: “Ekrem Mayor’s trial, originally scheduled for April 11, 2025, at Caglayan Courthouse, has been moved to Courtroom No. 2 in the Silivri Open Penal Institution.”
He added, “I remember this courtroom from the Ergenekon trials. The beginning of the film is the same—and the ending will be too.”

CHP leader Ozgur Ozel also commented during a statement in Silivri on Thursday, “The fact that Ekrem’s trial has been moved to a courtroom symbolic of past show trials is highly significant.”

Additional cases: Public tender allegations, cash-handling footage

Imamoglu is also facing two other trials on Friday. One concerns allegations of irregularities in a public tender during his time as mayor of the Beylikduzu district.

The case, filed after a 2023 investigation by the Ministry of Interior, accuses him of “manipulating a public procurement process.”

Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 3 to 7 years in prison and a political ban. This trial is being heard at the Buyukcekmece 10th Criminal Court of First Instance.

The second case involves controversial footage allegedly showing large sums of money being counted inside the CHP Istanbul Provincial Headquarters.

The video surfaced just before the March 31 local elections. A total of 22 people, including members of Imamoglu’s team, are being tried on charges of “illegally collecting donations.”