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The Istanbul prosecutor’s office has escalated to 142 charges against Ekrem İmamoğlu, the suspended mayor of the city and leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), requesting a sentence that could exceed 2,352 years in prison.

The indictment document, spanning nearly 4,000 pages, designates him as the «founder and leader of a criminal organization for profit,» as revealed by chief prosecutor Akın Gürlek during a press conference on November 11, 2025.

#TurkeyWatch🇹🇷: Pres. Erdogan’s crackdown is in OVERDRIVE.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu faces 23 years in prison. TUSIAD executive Ömer Aras, journalist Barış Pehlivan, and even astrologer Hilal Saraç have been detained.

PRES. ERDOGAN’S TURKEY = NO OPPOSITION = NO PROBLEM. pic.twitter.com/uUSNzlzn1x

— Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) February 27, 2025

Among the imputed crimes are 12 counts of bribery, seven of money laundering, seven of fraud, extortion, bid rigging, and even intentional environmental pollution, with estimated damage to the public treasury of 172 billion Turkish lira.

İmamoğlu, arrested on March 19, 2025, along with more than 100 municipal officials, has remained in pre-trial detention at Marmara Prison ever since.

His initial detention triggered the largest wave of protests in Turkey in over a decade, with thousands taking to the streets to denounce a «judicial coup» orchestrated by Erdoğan’s regime to neutralize the opposition ahead of the 2028 elections.

Recent polls place him ahead of the president in presidential surveys, intensifying suspicions of political motivations. The CHP labels the accusations as «lies and fabrications,» supported by 76 supposedly «repentant» witnesses backing the prosecution’s case.

The case involves 402 suspects in total, over a hundred of whom are in custody, and details a scheme of collusion in public contracts that allegedly illicitly enriched the network led by İmamoğlu since 2014.

Organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have warned about the use of the judiciary to silence dissidents, recalling similar patterns against opponents in the past. Gürlek demanded a «swift trial» and threatened to request the dissolution of the CHP before the Supreme Court, escalating tensions to critical levels.

From his cell, İmamoğlu categorically denies the charges, asserting that it is a «fabricated persecution» aimed at dismantling the opposition’s administration in Istanbul.

On social media, his supporters share videos of the massive post-arrest demonstrations, where thousands chant «Freedom for İmamoğlu». 2.2 million people: Record protests in Turkey demanding Imamoglu’s release and early elections.

2,2 millones de personas: Récord de protestas en Turquía exigiendo la libertad de Imamoglu y elecciones anticipadas.

La mayor protesta de los últimos años tuvo lugar en Estambul. Según los organizadores, 2,2 millones de personas salieron a la calle para exigir la liberación… pic.twitter.com/TrY52NwrXq

— (@EurekaNews10) March 30, 2025

The impact extends beyond borders: the European Union has convened urgent meetings on the state of Turkish democracy, while conservative analysts view this as a victory against entrenched corruption in the CHP’s secular left.

However, global critics brand it as rampant authoritarianism under Erdoğan, who since 2001 has consolidated control over courts and state media. This mega-case, one of several against İmamoğlu—including irregular financing—could redefine Turkey’s political landscape.

With an imminent trial, Turkey peers into an abyss of instability, where justice appears as a weapon in the eternal struggle between power and dissent.

About The Author Joana Campos

Joana Campos es abogada y editora con más de 10 años de experiencia en la gestión de proyectos de desarrollo internacional, enfocada en la sostenibilidad y el impacto social positivo. Anteriormente, trabajó como abogada corporativa. Egresada de la Universidad de Guadalajara.