A Turkish court jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu on corruption charges pending trial on Sunday. Imamoğlu was taken into custody on Wednesday, facing charges of corruption and aiding a terrorist group. The court later rejected the request by the prosecutor's office for Imamoğlu's secondary arrest on terror-related charges, thus paving the way for his Republican People's Party (CHP) to retain the mayoralty seat. Interior Ministry announced that Imamoğlu, as well as mayors of Istanbul's Beylikdüzü and Şişli districts implicated in the same case, were suspended from duty as a temporary measure.
Prosecutors say Imamoğlu was among the leaders of a criminal network enriching themselves through bribes and rigged public tenders. He and dozens of others are also accused of illegally obtaining personal data. A separate probe also accuses him and several other figures linked to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) as well as Istanbul's district municipalities of helping the PKK terrorist group by recruiting its sympathizers.
Along with Imamoğlu, the court in Istanbul ordered the arrest of his close aide, Murat Ongun, who served as head of a media company of the IBB, and Tuncay Yılmaz, director of the Imamoğlu family's construction company. So far, 48 suspects detained earlier this week have been formally arrested. Several others, including businesspeople and a singer, were released with judiciary control, with the court ordering them to report to authorities regularly and with bans in place regarding traveling abroad. Among those arrested were Resul Emrah Şahan, mayor of Istanbul's Şişli district, which is also run by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) like the IBB, IBB Deputy Secretary-General Mahir Polat and Mehmet Ali Çalışkan, head of the Reform Institute who was arrested on the terrorism charges of the twin probes into the municipality. Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık, Imamoğlu's successor in the Beylikdüzü district municipality of Istanbul, was also formally arrested on Sunday.
Ten suspects, including renowned businesspeople and singer Ercan Saatçi, were released pending judiciary control and a travel ban.
Prosecutors say Imamoğlu, along with running a criminal network, was also involved in illegally obtaining personal data of Istanbul residents. The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul says the evidence, including testimonies of witnesses in an investigation into a notorious “money counting” video of CHP-linked people, implicated Imamoğlu and others. The video, leaked last year, is part of another investigation into allegations that the bags full of cash seen in the video were linked to “vote buying” for the CHP’s incumbent chair, Özgür Özel. Eyewitnesses told investigators that Imamoğlu and others pressured businesspeople via extortion, colluded with certain businesspeople to acquire illicit gains, were involved in money laundering through transactions using intermediaries and used people as “secret coffers” for the transfer of illegal gains.
A total of 100 suspects, including Imamoğlu, Ongun and Yılmaz, have been implicated in charges related to "being a leader of a criminal organization," "membership in a criminal organization," "bribery," "fraud," "illegal data acquisition" and "tampering with a tender."
Imamoğlu has denied all allegations in his interrogation, but prosecutors point out a wide array of evidence, from financial irregularities to bribes and money laundering activities. Those include reports from the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), technical surveillance data and testimonies from 25 witnesses, media outlets reported. The investigation also relied on reports from the Ministry of Interior and cross-referenced data.
The crime network believed to have been led by Imamoğlu and his associates is accused of manipulating public tenders, accepting and offering bribes, embezzlement and laundering illicit funds through shell companies and fake invoices. The group allegedly used proceeds from these crimes for personal gain and to fund the organization’s activities, media reports say.
Imamoğlu is named as the leader of the criminal network and the “managers” of the network are identified as Ongun, Yılmaz, as well as Ertan Yıldız, a director of IBB’s subsidiaries and Fatih Keleş, general manager of a sports club owned by the IBB.
Adem Soytekin and Ali Nuhoğlu, linked to Keleş, are identified as “financial handlers” of the criminal organization. Nuhoğlu is a businessperson who was captured with a large amount of cash hidden in his residence during operations to detain Imamoğlu and others. The financial handlers allegedly maintained large sums of cash in their accounts and transferred funds to support the organization’s activities. They also facilitated the transfer of illicit funds through various channels.
The investigation is also linked to a notorious “money counting” video leaked to the media and showed CHP-linked names counting large piles of cash in an office, allegedly cash paid to delegates who voted for the party’s current chair, Özel, during a 2023 intraparty election. Reports say Imamoğlu was allegedly involved in overseeing the counting of large sums of cash seen in the footage, including TL 6 million ($160,000) from Beylikdüzü Municipality he once governed, TL 3 million from Beşiktaş Municipality and TL 800,000 from Şişli Municipality.
Investigators also singled out a shell company established in 2021 with a capital of a mere TL 50,000 as one of the suspicious entities in the investigation. The company acquired three villas worth TL 32 million and, despite having assets worth more than TL 46 million, was transferred to a company owned by Imamoğlu for TL 15 million. Imamoğlu’s family company is also accused of receiving illegal funds from companies that were paid by IBB’s subsidiaries in the municipality’s tenders.
Soytekin, a former foreman at Imamoğlu’s construction company, is accused of managing illicit funds and acquiring real estate with unexplained wealth. He allegedly transferred properties to Fatih Keleş and other associates without payment. Soytekin’s personal and company accounts held TL 600 million, with TL 1.25 billion passing through his accounts between 2020 and 2024.
Ongun, a key figure in the organization, is accused of orchestrating fraudulent advertising contracts through IBB subsidiaries, including Kültür A.Ş. and Medya A.Ş. He allegedly manipulated tenders, forged documents and distributed bribes to journalists and influencers to shape public opinion.
A separate investigation into irregularities in the IBB’s outdoor advertising sector revealed a TL 68 billion corruption scheme. The organization allegedly rigged tenders and distributed contracts to favored companies, sharing illicit profits among members.
Companies involved in this scheme were linked to Hüseyin Köksal, Murat Kapki and Eyüp Subaşı, who were detained as part of the investigation, as well as three advertising companies linked to a group of companies run by the Ilbak family whose members were detained in the investigation.
Media reports say the ongoing investigation may lead to further operations and charges as more details emerge.
