Turkish opposition figure İmamoğlu, seen as a key rival to President Erdoğan, was arrested on charges of bribery, extortion, and criminal activity.
The chief public prosecutor of Istanbul filed a broad blameworthiness against the megacity's locked mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, criminating him of 142 crimes related to systematized crime and corruption and requesting a judgment of further than 2,000 times in captivity.
Along with a number of external officers, İmamoğlu, a well- known opposition figure and a major opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was detained in March on charges of conducting a felonious association, entering backhanders, highway robbery, and shot- apparel.
He has vehemently refuted every accusation.
His arrest sparked the worst surge of public demonstrators in Turkey in more than ten times, and numerous saw the allegations as a politically driven attempt to undermine the main opposition.
According to Gürlek's office, İmamoğlu was indicted of organizing a felonious group, twelve counts of bribery, seven cases of plutocrat laundering, and seven counts of fraud.
He's also held responsible for several suspected offenses, similar as fraud, bribery, and tender- apparel.
"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, Özgür Özel, said on X.
After the court formally accepts the indictment, a trial date is anticipated. The accusation states that he could receive a sentence of 2,352 years in prison if found guilty of all allegations.
Prosecutors charged him with espionage last month in connection with an inquiry into his political campaign and a businessman detained in July for allegedly carrying out intelligence operations on behalf of foreign governments.
It is alleged that İmamoğlu transferred Istanbul residents' personal information in order to obtain foreign finance for his campaign.
The court actions, along with those against other mayors and representatives of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), are seen by critics as part of a larger crackdown after the party did well in last year's municipal elections.
Throughout the year, waves of arrests have occurred in several of the party's municipalities.
The claims are denied by the government, which maintains that the investigations are concentrated on corruption or other misconduct and that the court is impartial.
How could this trial affect Turkey's 2026 elections?
İmamoğlu is a leading opposition figure and implicit presidential seeker against Erdogan. A conviction or dragged trial would probably bar him from running, weakening the Republican People’s Party( CHP) and fracturing opposition concinnity.
The trial is seen as a tool of judicial importunity designed to suppress the opposition’s instigation after their original election successes. This could blackjack other opposition politicians and reduce their effectiveness in the forthcoming choices. İmamoğlu’s arrest and trial sparked wide demurrers and political uneasiness, amping up opposition sympathizers and potentially adding voter turnout to oppose Erdogan’s ruling party.
The trial feeds a narrative of popular backsliding and despotism, which could alienate some choosers but also lodge Erdogan’s base around a “ tyrannizer ” image.However, the CHP could witness leadership struggles, possible trustee movables , If İmamoğlu is disqualified or locked .