Prosecutor seeks 2,352-year jail term for Istanbul’s jailed mayor over alleged corruption

Istanbul Mayor Faces Unprecedented 2,352-Year Prison Sentence in Sweeping Corruption Case

Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor has filed a massive 3,900-page indictment against the city’s jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, accusing him of 142 criminal offenses and seeking a combined prison sentence exceeding 2,000 years. The case marks an extraordinary escalation in Turkey’s increasingly tense political landscape.

Imamoglu, who has been in custody since March, stands accused of leading a criminal organization, accepting bribes, money laundering, and fraud. Specifically, prosecutors have charged him with 12 counts of bribery, seven counts of money laundering, and seven counts of fraud. The indictment also holds him responsible for numerous alleged crimes committed by others, including additional bribery, fraud, and tender-rigging offenses.

The sweeping legal action names 402 suspects in total, with Imamoglu identified as the principal defendant. If convicted on all charges, he could face 2,352 years in prison, according to the indictment details released by Chief Prosecutor Akın Gurlek’s office.

Imamoglu, a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), has emerged as one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s most formidable political rivals in recent years. His arrest earlier this year alongside several municipal officials triggered the largest wave of public protests Turkey has witnessed in over a decade, reflecting significant public concern about the case.

The mayor has vehemently denied all allegations against him, and his supporters view the case as politically motivated. CHP chairman Ozgur Ozel condemned the indictment on social media platform X, stating: “This case is not legal — it is entirely political. Its aim is to stop the Republican People’s Party, which came first in the last elections, and to block its presidential candidate.”

The corruption case represents just one of several legal proceedings targeting Imamoglu. Last month, prosecutors filed separate espionage charges against him related to his political campaign. Those allegations involve claims that he transferred personal data of Istanbul residents to secure international funding for his campaign – accusations Imamoglu has dismissed as “nonsense.”

The mayor also faces additional legal challenges, including charges of insulting members of Turkey’s Supreme Election Council, allegations of threatening and insulting Prosecutor Gurlek, and accusations of diploma and document forgery.

Political analysts note that these cases come in the wake of significant gains by the CHP in Turkey’s 2023 local elections, where the opposition party secured control of key municipalities, including Istanbul and Ankara. Throughout 2023 and 2024, numerous CHP-controlled municipalities have experienced waves of arrests and investigations.

Turkey’s political landscape has grown increasingly polarized under President Erdogan’s leadership, with critics arguing that judicial independence has eroded. The Turkish government consistently rejects such criticism, maintaining that the judiciary operates independently and that investigations target genuine corruption or wrongdoing rather than political opponents.

The court is expected to set a trial date once it formally accepts the indictment. The case against Imamoglu will be closely watched both within Turkey and internationally as a litmus test for the country’s democratic institutions and judicial independence.

Human rights organizations and international observers have expressed concern about Turkey’s pattern of using judicial proceedings against opposition figures. The extraordinary length of the potential sentence – over two millennia – has drawn particular attention, even in a country where lengthy prison terms are sometimes sought in high-profile cases.