Türkiye: Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu faces multiple criminal charges Including fraud, corruption, extortion

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is facing a series of serious criminal charges, including fraud, corruption, and extortion, following his detention on March 19.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has revealed the specific accusations against İmamoğlu, who is currently in detention, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The charges stem from his actions after taking office as the mayor of Istanbul. According to the prosecutor’s office, İmamoğlu appointed individuals to senior positions within municipal departments and related organisations—people who had previously worked with him during his tenure as mayor of Beylikdüzü.

This network of appointees allegedly carried out various illicit activities, including falsifying tenders, committing fraud, unlawfully acquiring personal data, engaging in corruption, and extorting money with threats across several municipal entities.

In addition, İmamoğlu faces accusations of threatening business owners and extorting funds from them. It is also claimed that he assisted certain individuals in obtaining illegal earnings and helped to launder these profits.

To recall, Ekrem Imamoğlu has been detained as part of a major investigation into the municipality, with police conducting searches at his home. His press advisor, Murat Ongun, has also been taken into custody.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed a detention warrant for 100 individuals, including Imamoğlu, who is accused of leading a "suspected criminal organisation." Other high-profile figures, including Imamoğlu’s election campaign director, Necati Özkan, are also among those detained.

The investigation focuses on Medya A.Ş. and the “Urban Consensus” project. Police deployed around 3,000 officers for the operation. 

This comes a day after authorities annulled Imamoğlu’s university diploma, sparking concerns about the timing of the probe.

By Aghakazim Guliyev