Istanbul court resumes İmamoğlu trial after 40-day recess

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court on Aug. 17 resumed the second series of hearings in the corruption trial involving the city’s former mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, along with several other opposition mayors, following a 40-day recess.

İmamoğlu has been imprisoned since March 2025 as part of a corruption investigation targeting the Istanbul Municipality, with several district mayors jailed pending trial as well.

The trial began on March 9 with 107 defendants in custody. A total of 64 hearings have been held so far, during which roughly half of the arrested defendants were released pending trial, bringing the number of those remaining in custody down to 53. A total of 414 defendants are standing trial in the case.

The court adjourned proceedings for 40 days after hearing the defenses of the arrested defendants, with İmamoğlu being the sole exception.

The court is now scheduled to hear the defenses of the defendants who are not in custody.

İmamoğlu was unable to present his defense at the previous hearing after he was removed from the courtroom following a heated exchange with the presiding judge on July 8. The dispute erupted after
İmamoğlu requested additional time to make his defense, but the panel declined to grant extra time.

The mayor is expected to once again ask the court for permission to make an oral defense and to request three days to present his case, local media reported on Aug. 17.

New Party leader Özgür Özel, who traveled to the Silivri complex to attend the hearing, called on the court to allow İmamoğlu to exercise his right to defend himself.

“Our hope is that the injustice that occurred at the point where the hearing was left off will be remedied today. Ekrem was deprived of his right to defense. Would a prosecutor or judge who is confident in their case restrict the right to defense?” Özel said.

Meanwhile, ahead of the hearing on Aug. 17, security personnel detected a gun inside a bag during X-ray screening. The person carrying the bag, who was identified as a lawyer, was reportedly able to pass through security and enter the building.

The building was subsequently completely evacuated by the gendarmerie, and everyone entering the premises was subjected to another round of X-ray screening.

In an indictment running to approximately 3,900 pages, İmamoğlu faces allegations related to 143 separate acts, including, charges of “establishing and leading a criminal organization.” Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence ranging from 828 to 2,352 years for İmamoğlu.

İmamoğlu also announced last week that he resigned from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), of which he had been a member for 17 years.