Prosecutor seeks 2,352-year jail term for Istanbul’s jailed mayor over alleged corruption

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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor filed a sweeping indictment against the city’s jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, accusing him of 142 offenses tied to corruption and organized crime, and seeking a total prison sentence exceeding 2,000 years.

Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure widely seen as a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested in March along with several municipal officials who were accused of running a criminal organization, accepting bribes, extortion and bid-rigging. He has strongly denied all allegations.

Critics view the accusations as a politically motivated effort to weaken the main opposition. His arrest triggered the largest wave of public demonstrations in Turkey in over a decade.

Chief Prosecutor Akın Gurlek said the indictment is 3,900 pages and names 402 suspects including Imamoglu as the chief suspect, Turkish media reports said.

Imamoglu was charged with organizing a criminal group, 12 counts of bribery, seven counts of money laundering and seven counts of fraud, according to Gurlek’s office. Additionally, he is held responsible for multiple crimes allegedly committed by others including bribery, fraud and tender-rigging.

A trial date is expected to be set once the court formally accepts the indictment. If convicted of all charges, he could be sentenced to 2,352 years in prison, according to the indictment.

“This case is not legal — it is entirely political. Its aim is to stop the Republican People’s Party, which came first in the last elections, and to block its presidential candidate,” the party’s chairman, Ozgur Ozel, said on X. “What happened today is a blatant judicial intervention in democratic politics and the outcome of future elections.”

The corruption case is one of several legal proceedings targeting Imamoglu.

Last month, prosecutors filed espionage charges against him related to an investigation of his political campaign and a businessman arrested in July for reportedly conducting intelligence activities on behalf of foreign governments.

Imamoglu is accused of transferring personal data of Istanbul residents to secure international funding for his campaign. He has dismissed the charges as “nonsense.”

Other ongoing legal cases include allegations of insulting members of the Supreme Election Council, threats and insults directed at Gurlek, the prosecutor, and accusations of diploma and document forgery.

Critics view the legal cases, along with cases against other mayors and officials from the main opposition Republican People’s Party, as part of a broader crackdown following a strong performance 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, insisting the judiciary is independent and the investigations are focused on corruption or other wrongdoing.