The corruption investigation against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu is ongoing. I’d like to share two facts with you that you probably haven’t heard before.
The first is this: The spark that ignited this massive corruption investigation came from within the Republican People's Party (CHP) itself. Yes, you heard that right. The accusations did not originate from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). They were filed by CHP members or close insiders.
For example, the corruption allegations in Beşiktaş and Beykoz – now merged into the Imamoğlu investigation – were brought to the prosecutor’s office as part of internal reckonings within the CHP. The person who filed the complaint was the mayor’s own chief of staff.
The person who filed the criminal complaint questioning Imamoğlu’s diploma was also a former CHP member, now with the Homeland Party (MP) – a party that splintered from within the CHP. He’s a young man who has been actively working to support Muharrem Ince’s presidential candidacy. More importantly, Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, currently in prison, gave a confession that allegedly revealed a vast web of interest-centered relationships tied to the Istanbul Municipality. In other words, a key piece of the indictment stems from the testimony of a CHP mayor.
There are dozens of files in this corruption case, filled with evidence, witness statements and surveillance records. But I want to focus on just one part of it: the case of the three villas.
In Reşitpaşa, Sarıyer, three luxury villas – collectively worth around $50 million – were allegedly purchased for just $500,000 through a company tied to Imamoğlu’s construction firm. The properties weren’t directly listed in his name, but he maintained indirect control through the structure. The purchase price? Less than 1% of the actual market value.
Shortly after, one of the villas was rented out to another company for $200,000 per year. In other words, the entire purchase price was recouped in just over a year. A brilliant “investment strategy”? Or something else entirely?
But here’s the most striking detail: The land on which these villas were built had previously been expropriated by Istanbul Municipality to be turned into a public green space. It was purchased using public funds – taxpayers’ money. And somehow, it stopped being public property, ended up in private hands and now stands as luxury real estate. Land meant for the public good has become a foundation for private wealth, built using public authority.
These three villas alone tell us everything we need to know about how this system operates.
Three villas – an entire system summarized. And the first to sound the alarm weren’t political opponents, but members of the same party. That’s why this case isn’t just about one person. It calls into question an entire political culture. And perhaps for the first time, the internal confessions are loud and clear: Imamoğlu did it. The CHP reported it.
