Courtroom standoff delays trial in İmamoğlu case

ISTANBUL

A court on March 16 adjourned the corruption trial involving Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, citing rising tensions, as the second week of hearings began.

The first week of the trial was already marked by frequent disputes, with sessions repeatedly cut short due to heightened tension in the courtroom.

Alongside İmamoğlu, who was jailed pending trial in March 2025, several other mayors from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) are also defendants in case. The first trial expected to last more than a month and a half, given that there are over 400 accused.

The proceedings on March 16, entering their second week, saw a new crisis erupt when CHP MP Turan Taşkın Özer, seated in the section reserved for lawyers, refused to move despite not representing any defendant.

Özer insisted on remaining in the area, asserting his entitlement as a licensed attorney, while the presiding judge instructed that he should observe the proceedings from the public gallery.

The disagreement quickly escalated as other lawyers joined the dispute.

“Every morning, we start with a problem. We have numerous detainees. We are trying to hear defenses. We cannot continue like this every day,” the judge told local media. When Özer refused to move, the court postponed the session to March 17 without starting.

Prior to this, the court also decided, following disputes with journalists, to bar those without press credentials from entering the courtroom.

The CHP maintains that the arrest of İmamoğlu and the legal actions against its mayors are politically motivated. The party previously nominated İmamoğlu as its presidential candidate for the upcoming elections, and many observers argue that the multiple investigations targeting the popular political figure are linked to this.