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A delegation of European mayors is set to visit former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu at Silivri’s Marmara Prison, where he has been held following his arrest on March 19 in connection with corruption and terrorism-related investigations under Türkiye’s Penal Code.
The 10-member Eurocities delegation, consisting of seven mayors and three officials, will first visit the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) on Thursday morning. During the visit, they will present Imamoglu with a “Special Democracy Award” and hold a press briefing at the municipality.
The press briefing will be led by Eurocities Vice President and Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni, alongside Vasil Terziev, Sofia mayor and B40 Balkan Cities Network head. The event will be hosted by IBB Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan.
Following the municipality briefing, the delegation will travel to Marmara Prison in Silivri to meet Imamoglu. A second press briefing will be held outside the prison after the visit.
Apart from Collboni and Terziev, the delegation includes Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, Timisoara Mayor Dominic Fritz, Utrecht Mayor Sharon Dijksma, Budapest Mayor Gergely Szilveszter Karacsony, Paris Deputy Mayor Arnaud Ngatcha, Madrid International Relations General Director Jose Francisco Herrera Antonaya and Eurocities Secretary General Andre Sobczak.
Although Imamoglu’s legal troubles are often framed politically, the ongoing cases are criminal in nature, involving serious allegations under Türkiye’s Penal Code:
| TCK Article | Crime Definition | Foreseen Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| TCK 220/1 | Establishing or managing an organization to commit a crime | 4 to 8 years imprisonment |
| TCK 220/7 | Deliberate assistance to a terrorist organization without being a member | 1 to 3 years imprisonment |
| TCK 314/2 | Membership in an armed terrorist organization | 5 to 10 years imprisonment |
| TCK 135 | Illegally recording personal data | 1 to 3 years imprisonment |
| TCK 252 | Public official accepting bribes or gaining benefit | 4 to 12 years imprisonment |
He is currently detained under a case alleging the formation and leadership of a criminal organization, while other investigations include corruption, bribery, tender irregularities, and personal data violations. Imamoglu denies all allegations, calling the cases politically motivated. His lawyers argue that many accusations rely on secret witness statements and procedural irregularities.
In the “Fools” case, following the annulment of the 2019 elections, Imamoglu was sentenced to two years, seven months, and 15 days in prison for calling Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) members “fools.” If upheld, the sentence would also trigger a political ban.
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