The trial against Ekrem İmamoğlu began on March 9 — almost a year after his arrest. According to Anadolu, the former mayor of Istanbul faces more than 2000 years in prison. The judge announced that hearings will take place from Monday to Thursday.
İmamoğlu has already faced numerous charges, including bribery and money laundering. Opposition figures and human rights activists believe that the legal proceedings have a political underpinning. In this case, 407 people are also being charged, of whom 105 are in custody.
Dilek İmamoğlu, the wife of the accused, noted in an interview with the dpa agency before the trial began that Turkey is facing a serious test in the field of justice. “We hope for justice, as we are confident in our righteousness,” she stated, adding that it is important not only for her husband to be acquitted but also to restore public trust in the judicial system.
Sentence for the former mayor of Istanbul for "threats" to the prosecutor
On July 16, 2025, a court in Turkey sentenced Ekrem İmamoğlu to one year and eight months in prison for "public insult" and "threats" to Istanbul prosecutor Akın Gürlek. The investigation began in January after his statement about the prosecutor's "rotten" thinking and his promise to "eradicate" him from the "nation's consciousness." This was in response to the arrest of the leader of the youth branch of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Cem Aydın.
İmamoğlu rejects all charges and claims: “I stand against abuses in the judicial system and its use for political purposes. This is an insult to our nation,” Halk TV quotes him as saying.
İmamoğlu was also sentenced to two years and seven months for insulting members of Turkey's Supreme Election Council (YSK) in 2022 after the annulment of the results of the Istanbul mayoral elections, in which he won. The appeal against this sentence has not yet been considered.
İmamoğlu's arrest and presidential ambitions
On March 19, 2025, Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested on suspicion of bribery and leading a criminal organization. He is also accused of supporting the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party.
The next day, the court decided to arrest İmamoğlu and suspend him from his position as mayor of Istanbul. In the presidential primary elections, his candidacy was supported by 13.2 million citizens — about 20% of all registered voters in Turkey.
The persecution of İmamoğlu has sparked the largest protests in Turkey since 2013: within 10 days of the former mayor's arrest, around 220 demonstrations in his support took place across the country. İmamoğlu, who is 54 years old, is considered the main competitor to Erdoğan in the 2028 elections.
The record "Erdoğan's rival faces over 2000 years in prison" was first published on K-News.
