Archive photo. Ekrem İmamoğlu could be sentenced to over 2,000 years in prison
He has been charged with 143 counts of criminal activity, including 12 cases of bribery, 7 cases of money laundering, and 7 cases of fraud.
The Attorney General's Office intends to demand a sentence ranging from 828 to 2,352 years for İmamoğlu, as previously reported.
In July 2025, the former mayor, who is a key opponent of Erdoğan, was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison for "public insult" and "threats" against Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek in January 2025. The specific statements that formed the basis for the charges were not disclosed.
It is worth noting that İmamoğlu was detained on March 19, 2025, which sparked mass protests across the country. Shortly after his detention, he was removed from his position as mayor of Istanbul and accused of bribery. At 53 years old, İmamoğlu was seen as the main contender for the presidency in the upcoming elections in Turkey, scheduled for 2028.
The main opposition party in Turkey, the CHP, confirmed his candidacy for the presidency in these elections.
