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A Turkish court on Tuesday accepted a sweeping indictment against 407 suspects, including former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who now faces over 2,000 years in prison on charges related to bribery, fraud, and organized crime.
The 40th High Criminal Court of Istanbul confirmed it had accepted the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, following a months-long investigation into what authorities describe as the “Imamoglu profit-oriented criminal organization.”
The court said a hearing date will be scheduled in the coming days after the procedural order is finalized.
Imamoglu, a key figure in Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and widely viewed as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s most serious political rival, was removed from office and jailed in March along with 105 other individuals. He denies all charges.
Prosecutors allege that the criminal network operated over a period of 10 years and caused a public financial loss of 160 billion Turkish lira (approximately $3.79 billion) and an additional $24 million.
Authorities said they identified 95 immovable properties allegedly connected to the investigation, though they noted the valuations were not based on current market prices.
The indictment accuses Imamoglu of establishing an organization to commit crimes, recording and disseminating personal data, concealing criminal evidence, obstructing communication, damaging public property, bribery, publicly spreading misleading information, embezzlement, fraud against public institutions, laundering assets obtained through criminal means, rigging public tenders, and intentional environmental pollution.
It also cites violations of the Tax Procedure Law, the Forestry Law, and the Mining Law. Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence ranging from 849 years to 2,430 years and six months for Imamoglu.
According to the indictment, the Interior Ministry’s Civil Inspection Board is listed as the complainant.
The Ministry of Treasury and Finance, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and the Sisli Municipality are named as parties harmed by the crimes.
The indictment also names several other suspects alleged to be leaders of the organization. Fatih Keles is accused of 48 counts of bribery, receiving and giving bribes, 55 counts of public tender rigging, 39 counts of fraud against public institutions, and additional charges, including laundering criminal proceeds, environmental crimes, tax violations, embezzlement, destruction of evidence, and obstructing communication.
Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of 556 years and 8 months to 1,542 years and 8 months for Keles.
Murat Ongun, another prominent suspect, faces charges of bribery, 53 counts of rigging tenders, 33 counts of institutional fraud, and various data privacy and money laundering violations.
The indictment calls for a sentence of 287 years and 6 months to 779 years and 6 months.
Ertan Yildiz is charged with bribery, tender rigging, and public sector fraud. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 86 to 251 years.
Adem Soytekin faces charges of bribery, aggravated bribery, embezzlement, and laundering criminal proceeds, with prosecutors requesting 67 to 194 years in prison.
For fugitive suspect Murat Gulibrahimoglu, the indictment demands 19 years and 6 months to 51 years in prison for fraud, laundering criminal proceeds, forgery, and violations of environmental, mining, and tax laws.
Huseyin Gun is charged with organizing a criminal group and misusing personal data, with prosecutors seeking a sentence of 20 to 40 years.
The indictment further states that Ongun, Gulibrahimoglu, Soytekin, Yildiz, and Gun should also be sentenced under Articles 220/1 and 53/1 of the Turkish Penal Code for establishing a criminal organization and being deprived of certain civic rights. Because they are classified as organization leaders, prosecutors argue they should be held accountable for all crimes committed by the group under Article 220/5.
The document adds that Soytekin, Gun, and Yildiz provided substantial information about the organization’s structure and activities following their arrests. Therefore, prosecutors recommend that they be granted sentence reductions under Article 221/4 (second sentence) of the Turkish Penal Code, which allows for leniency in exchange for effective remorse.
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