Istanbul’s chief prosecutor has filed a full indictment charging imprisoned mayor Ekrem Imamoglu with 142 crimes related to corruption and organized crime, seeking a total prison term of more than 2,000 years.
Imamoğlu, a prominent opposition figure widely seen as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main rival, was arrested in March along with several city officials on charges including running a criminal organization, bribery, extortion and bid rigging.
He strongly denied all allegations.
Critics see the charges as a politically motivated effort to weaken the main opposition party, and his arrest sparked the biggest wave of mass protests in Turkey in more than a decade.
According to Turkish media, Chief Prosecutor Akun Gürek said the indictment was 3,900 pages long and named 402 suspects, including Imamoglu, as the main suspect.
Imamoglu was charged with organizing a criminal group, 12 counts of bribery, seven counts of money laundering and seven counts of fraud, Gürek’s office said.
In addition, he is responsible for several crimes allegedly committed by others, including bribery, fraud, and bid rigging.
A trial date is expected to be set after the court formally accepts the indictment. If convicted on all charges, he could be sentenced to 2,352 years in prison, according to the indictment.
“This lawsuit is not legal, it is completely political. Its aim is to stop the Republican People’s Party, which came first in the last elections, and to prevent its presidential candidacy,” the party’s chairman Özgür Ezer told X.
“What happened today is blatant judicial interference in democratic politics and the outcome of future elections.”
The corruption case is one of several legal proceedings targeting Mr Imammoğlu.
Last month, prosecutors indicted him on espionage charges in connection with an investigation into his political campaign, and arrested a businessman in July for allegedly conducting intelligence activities on behalf of a foreign government.
Imamoglu is accused of transferring the personal data of Istanbul residents to secure international funding for his election campaign. He dismissed the accusations as “nonsense.”
Other ongoing cases include charges of contempt against members of the Supreme Electoral Council, threats and insults against the chief prosecutor, and accusations of forging diplomas and documents.
Critics see the lawsuit, along with those against other mayors and officials of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), as part of a broader crackdown following strong results in last year’s local elections.
Several municipalities run by the party have faced waves of arrests throughout the year.
The government rejects the accusations, saying the judiciary is independent and the investigation focuses on corruption and other wrongdoing.
Additional sources of information • AP
