Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, whose March arrest sparked nationwide protests, has denied all charges against him.
Published on October 27, 2025
A Turkish court has filed new charges against the opposition leader Ekrem Imamogluwhose arrest in March led to massive anti-government protests.
The move by prosecutors on Monday against the jailed mayor of Istanbul stems from an investigation launched last week into alleged ties to a businessman arrested in July for conducting espionage activities on behalf of a foreign government.
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The accusation is part of what Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party, or CHP, has labeled a long-running crackdown on the opposition.
The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denied the allegations, insisting that Turkey’s judiciary is independent and that accusations and investigations are based solely on the opposition’s involvement in corruption and other illegal activities.
of Imamoglu Arrested in March While he was sentenced to prison in July on corruption charges, insults and threats to Istanbul’s chief prosecutor sparked nationwide protests.
The state-run Anadolu news agency said Imamoglu – Erdogan’s main political rival – Suspected of transferring personal data of Istanbul residents as part of an effort to secure international funding for his presidential campaign.
Imamoglu has denied all allegations in court and on social media.
“Such slander, lies and scheming would not even enter the mind of Satan!” He wrote on X. “We are facing a shameful indignity that cannot be described in words.”
Imamoglu’s former campaign manager, Necati Özkan, was also charged along with Merdan Yanardag, editor-in-chief of the television news channel Tele1.
The channel, which was critical of the government, was seized by the state government on Friday citing espionage charges.
Waves of arrests
Hundreds of supporters gathered outside Istanbul’s main court on Sunday as Imamoglu was questioned by prosecutors. He was released from Marmara prison outside Istanbul for the first time in seven months.
Critics see his arrest and subsequent additional charges as part of a broader crackdown on the opposition, which made significant gains in last year’s local elections.
CHP mayors and municipalities have faced a wave of arrests throughout the year on corruption-related charges.
Erdogan has rejected accusations of political interference in the judiciary.
Friday, at the Ankara court A bid was rejected The ousting of Özgur Özel as leader of the CHP in a case centered on allegations of vote-buying and procedural irregularities at the party’s 2023 congress.