Istanbul prosecutors open espionage probe against former mayor

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation against former mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and several others over alleged espionage.

The expanding case also involves İmamoğlu’s former campaign manager, Necati Özkan, Tele 1 TV channel’s editor-in-chief, Merdan Yanardağ, and businessman Huseyin Gün, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the investigation stems from an earlier probe in which Gün was arrested in July on charges of acting on behalf of foreign countries and using encrypted communication tools for secret exchanges.

Authorities said digital evidence obtained from Gün included encrypted phones, handwritten documents, and photographs of military equipment and foreign passports. Investigators also found links to individuals previously investigated in FETÖ/PDY and PKK/KCK terror cases, as well as contacts with foreign consulate officials and intelligence operatives.

A financial investigation revealed that Gün had conducted large domestic and international money transfers despite having no active business operations, including the withdrawal of $2.02 million (₺85 million) in cash without clear justification.

The prosecutor’s statement further alleged that encrypted communications between Gün and Özkan on the “Wickr” platform contained instructions on “digital intelligence gathering” and campaign coordination during İmamoğlu’s 2019 mayoral campaign.

As part of the investigation, police carried out searches at the Tele 1 office on the morning of October 24, detaining Yanardağ, and later conducted additional searches at his home.

Investigators claim İmamoğlu, Özkan, Yanardağ, and Gün were part of a network that sought financial gain while engaging in intelligence-sharing activities with foreign entities.

İmamoğlu, who is currently imprisoned on corruption charges, has been brought in for questioning as part of the new espionage probe, which prosecutors say is being jointly conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT), and the Istanbul Police Department.

By Jeyhun Aghazada