A Turkish prosecutor has demanded more than 2,000 years of imprisonment for Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul’s mayor and chief rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, alleging his involvement in a vast corruption network that reportedly cost the Turkish state hundreds of billions of lira. The charges were detailed in an indictment reviewed by Reuters on Tuesday (November 11).
At a press conference, Istanbul’s chief prosecutor Akin Gürlek stated that the indictment names 402 suspects, including İmamoğlu. They face accusations of forming a criminal organization, bribery, fraud, and bid rigging. Gürlek claimed that over a decade, the network caused 160 billion lira (approximately USD 3.8 billion) in state losses.
The prosecutor also alleged that several Istanbul Municipality contractors were coerced into paying bribes through secret funds. The 4,000-page indictment reportedly includes financial investigation reports, expert analyses, and digital and video evidence. İmamoğlu is identified as the ringleader of the alleged operation.
Reuters, however, noted that it could not independently verify the claims.
İmamoğlu, who has been detained since March on corruption charges, has repeatedly denied the accusations, calling them politically motivated. His party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), dismissed the latest charges as “nonsense.” CHP’s Istanbul branch head Özgür Çelik wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the case was “absurd and shameful,” adding that the government’s true goal is to block İmamoğlu’s presidential ambitions.
Government officials have rejected allegations of political persecution, insisting that Turkey’s judiciary operates independently. Neither the Istanbul Municipality nor İmamoğlu’s legal team has issued a statement regarding the new indictment.
In a related development, Istanbul prosecutors have petitioned the High Court of Cassation to dissolve the CHP, claiming the party is funded through illegal sources and engages in prohibited financial activities.
The move comes amid an unprecedented wave of legal crackdowns over the past year targeting Erdoğan’s critics and opposition figures.
