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Former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was removed from office and arrested earlier this year, is facing up to 2,352 years in prison in a sweeping corruption case involving alleged fraud, bribery, and organized crime, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
In a statement, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said an indictment had been prepared by the Organized Crime Investigation Bureau as part of a probe into what it described as the “Imamoglu criminal organization.”
Imamoglu, a leading opposition figure from the Turkish main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and considered President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most serious rival, was jailed in March along with 105 others as part of the wide-ranging investigation. He denies all charges.
Chief Prosecutor Akin Gurlek told reporters that the investigation has been completed and prosecutors have compiled a 3,900-page indictment outlining 143 separate criminal acts involving 402 suspects.
After Gurlek’s statements, Türkiye’s benchmark stock index, the BIST 100, dropped sharply by 3.57% to an intraday low of 10,400 points.
“We worked very intensively. A total of 3,900 pages. We will submit an indictment against 402 suspects. There are 143 different acts. Ekrem Imamoglu is the founder and leader of the organization,” Gurlek said.
He said the case centers on allegations of rigged municipal tenders and illegal property acquisitions during Imamoglu’s time as mayor. “How the tender processes were designed is very important. You can see these in the indictment. The correspondence was directly added to the file,” he added.
Gurlek also said that CHP lawmakers Turan Taskin Ozer and CHP Deputy Chairman and Istanbul lawmaker Ozgur Karabat were included in the case as "suspects" and "members of the organization." He added that the case files were sent to Ankara with a request to lift the parliamentary immunity of the two lawmakers.
According to Gurlek, WhatsApp messages from Beylikduzu Mayor Mehmet Murat Calik, a political ally of Imamoglu, were also included in the evidence. Some messages allegedly contain confessions.
Prosecutors allege the crimes spanned a decade, resulting in a public financial loss of ₺160 billion ($3.79 billion) and $24 million. Authorities said they identified 95 immovable properties allegedly linked to the case, though the values were not based on current market estimates.
The indictment seeks a prison sentence ranging from 828 to 2,352 years for Imamoglu.
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Following reports suggesting that the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had requested the closure of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) under Article 69 of the Constitution, the office issued a written statement denying the claims.
"The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has not submitted any notice requesting the closure of the CHP," the statement said. "As clearly stated in the indictment, the notification was made in accordance with the Political Parties Law."
The statement further clarified that the submission to the Court of Cassation’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office was merely an informational notice, described as a report in nature, rather than a formal request for the party’s closure.
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