ISTANBUL (AP) — The jailed opposition mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, appeared in court on Friday amid several legal cases against him. Imamoglu has been detained at Silivri prison since March 23, and his case involves allegations that he threatened a public prosecutor. This is just one of six cases that predate his recent arrest, which has sparked widespread protests across the country.
Outside Silivri prison, hundreds of Imamoglu’s supporters gathered to show solidarity during the court hearing. Imamoglu addressed the judge, highlighting his electoral victories against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has longstanding ties to the city as its former mayor in the 1990s. Erdogan has been actively involved in opposing Imamoglu’s political career, which has been characterized as challenging Erdogan’s 22-year rule.
Imamoglu is facing over seven years in prison and a potential political ban for allegedly "targeting, threatening, and insulting persons working in the fight against terrorism." The charge is linked to remarks he made on January 20, in which he criticized Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akin Gurlek regarding criminal cases against other opposition figures.
On March 19, Imamoglu was arrested in connection with two investigations: one regarding alleged corruption within the Istanbul municipality and another concerning claims of terrorism links involving his party's electoral alliance with pro-Kurdish politicians. His arrest led to significant public demonstrations calling for his release and protesting the erosion of democratic norms in Turkey under Erdogan’s administration. These demonstrations resulted in around 2,000 detentions, with many participants being arrested for attending protests prohibited by the government.
While still in custody, Imamoglu was officially nominated as the presidential candidate for the Republican People’s Party (CHP) for the upcoming elections, which are scheduled for 2028 but could occur sooner. His imprisonment has been widely perceived as politically motivated, although the government maintains that Turkey's judiciary operates independently and free from political interference.
On the same day, two additional courts in Istanbul conducted hearings related to Imamoglu. One case involves allegations of bid-rigging dating back a decade, from his tenure as mayor of Istanbul's Beylikduzu district. The other case pertains to illegal donation collection, sparked by a video that emerged in the lead-up to last year’s local elections, which showed CHP staff counting large sums of cash.
The ongoing legal challenges against Imamoglu are part of a broader narrative concerning political repression in Turkey, particularly against opposition figures. While the government remains steadfast in claiming the integrity of its judicial system, the actions taken against Imamoglu, including his arrest and the multiple legal cases against him, have raised serious concerns among human rights advocates and opposition supporters about the current state of democracy in Turkey.
