The Istanbul mayor’s trial begins in March 2026. Imamoglu faces serious criminal charges that are seen as politically motivated.
The court in Istanbul set the date for the start of the trial of the imprisoned mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. The trial will begin on March 9, 2026 – almost a year after the mayor’s arrest and detention, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Friday, as quoted by the DPA agency.
The trial involves a wide-ranging indictment: Imamoglu is accused of several crimes, including the establishment and management of a criminal organization, bribery, embezzlement or extortion,
A wide range of allegations
tender manipulation, money laundering and environmental crimes. He faces a prison sentence ranging from 849 to 2430 years.
There are 407 defendants in these cases, including Imamoglu and 104 other persons who are currently in custody.
Political implications of the case
In the indictment, the inspection of the Ministry of the Interior is listed as the complainant.
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has nominated Imamoglu as its presidential candidate in elections to be held in 2028. However, the allegations against him raise uncertainty over whether he will even be able to run against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Imamoglu and the CHP reject all the accusations as politically motivated. Erdogan publicly criticized Imamoglu for this.
Mass protests in Turkey
Imamoglu and dozens of CHP representatives were detained by the police in March 2025 on charges of corruption. His detention has sparked mass protests in Turkey against Erdogan, who his opponents accuse of trying to shut down his opponents ahead of the presidential election.
