Trial kicks off in espionage case against İmamoğlu

ISTANBUL

The first hearing in the “political espionage” trial involving Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and several co-defendants began on May 11.

Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of between 15 and 20 years, along with political bans, for İmamoğlu, his campaign director Necati Özkan, journalist Merdan Yanardağ and businessman Hüseyin Gün.

İmamoğlu has been imprisoned since March 2025 over a graft accusation related to the municipality. The espionage case is one of the several investigations against the mayor.

Much of the 160-page indictment is based on digital materials, messages and statements linked to Gün, who sought to benefit from Türkiye’s “effective remorse” provisions.

In his defense to the court on May 11, Gün rejected all accusations, saying he had never obtained or shared any state secrets and describing the espionage claims as “completely baseless.”

Gün said he had been detained while in Türkiye for artificial intelligence investments and argued that there was no concrete evidence against him.

He also claimed he had carried out overseas assignments on behalf of the Turkish state after the 2016 coup attempt and submitted documents to the court regarding his alleged activities against the FETÖ terrorist organization.

The businessman denied accusations that he leaked Istanbul Municipality data or coordinated operations with İmamoğlu’s team.

He said his only contact with Özkan involved a free social media analysis presentation prepared after the annulment of the 2019 Istanbul election. Gün also dismissed claims regarding donations to Yanardağ, asking, “How can donating to a journalist be espionage?”

The indictment alleged that Gün maintained contact with British, U.S. and Israeli intelligence-linked figures and transferred sensitive municipal and personal data to foreign intelligence services. Prosecutors further claim that social media analyses and perception management efforts were used to manipulate the 2019 local elections in İmamoğlu’s favor. All defendants have denied the charges.