Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu Removed from Courtroom During İBB Trial

On the 61st hearing of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) case, which involves 414 defendants, Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu clashed with the presiding judge. After questioning the court’s schedule for a July 9 deadline, the judge invoked Criminal Procedure Code article 203 and ordered İmamoğlu out of the courtroom, along with two CHP MPs. The hearing was subsequently paused as lawyers and other defendants left in protest.

İmamoğlu later condemned the decision, noting he was already scheduled to appear in two other courts on the same day and argued that forcing a single individual to attend three simultaneous trials was unreasonable. The judge reaffirmed the set timetable and warned that non‑compliance would result in further expulsions.