Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu's expert‑witness case postponed, likely to be dismissed

Turkey's Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu continues to face a criminal case accusing him of attempting to influence an expert witness in investigations into municipal officials. A court hearing was delayed until 8 December after the public prosecutor was replaced.

His lawyers have already made a pre‑payment required by the court, a step that in similar prior cases led judges to drop the charges. The prosecutor now says the alleged conduct does not meet the definition of an “attempt to influence a witness,” leaving only the lesser offence of “attempting to affect a fair trial,” which is classified as a pre‑payment matter. Observers therefore expect the case to be dismissed at the next session.

The legal action stems from statements İmamoğlu made in January, criticizing the independence of the judiciary and expert witnesses involved in several investigations into the Istanbul municipality.