An indictment has been completed in a far-reaching corruption investigation into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), targeting Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and 401 other individuals. Prosecutors are seeking a staggering prison sentence of 828 to 2,352 years for İmamoğlu, who is currently detained and accused of being the founder and leader of a criminal organization. The indictment, dated November 11, 2025, marks a dramatic escalation in the legal pressures facing one of Turkey's most prominent opposition figures.
The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced the completion of the indictment, which names 402 individuals as suspects, including 105 who are currently under arrest and 170 under judicial control. According to the Turkish news outlet T24, the official statement from the prosecutor's Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau refers to the alleged group as the "İmamoğlu For-Profit Criminal Organization." The suspects face a litany of serious charges, including establishing and managing a criminal organization, bribery, bid-rigging, fraud against public institutions, money laundering, and illegal acquisition of personal data.
The indictment alleges that Mayor İmamoğlu is personally responsible for 142 separate criminal actions. He is directly accused of "Establishing a Criminal Organization," along with 12 counts of bribery, 7 counts of money laundering, and 7 counts of fraud against public institutions. Furthermore, in his alleged capacity as the organization's leader, the indictment seeks to hold him responsible for all crimes committed by its members. These vicarious charges include 70 counts of bid-rigging, 47 counts of receiving bribes, and 39 counts of fraud, among dozens of other alleged offenses ranging from environmental crimes to disseminating misleading information.
The document also names several of İmamoğlu's close associates—Fatih Keleş, Murat Ongun, Ertan Yıldız, Murat Gülibrahimoğlu, Adem Soytekin, and Hüseyin Gün—as managers within the alleged criminal organization. While the indictment lists 99 suspects as direct members of the organization, the remaining individuals are accused of committing related crimes without being formal members. The prosecutor's office has stated that the investigation is ongoing for some additional suspects not included in this initial filing with the Istanbul Heavy Penal Court.
Background on İmamoğlu’s Arrest and Legal Battles
Ekrem İmamoğlu, a leading figure and candidate for Turkey's presidency from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has been under arrest as part of this investigation, according to the provided information. His tenure as mayor has been marked by continuous legal and political challenges since he won the contentious 2019 municipal election, ending 25 years of rule by the incumbent party and its predecessors in Istanbul.
This is not İmamoğlu's first major legal battle. In 2022, he was sentenced to over two years in prison and given a political ban for "insulting public officials," a verdict related to comments he made about the cancellation of the initial 2019 election results. That case is still pending appeal. Supporters and critics of the government have long argued that the legal cases against İmamoğlu are politically motivated, designed to sideline a potent political rival ahead of future presidential elections. The latest indictment, with its severe accusations and demand for an unprecedented prison term, is seen by his allies as the culmination of this pressure campaign.
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