Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s corruption trial reaches 59th day

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) corruption case is in its 59th hearing before the 40th Heavy Penal Court in Silivri. The trial involves 414 defendants, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, former mayor Danışman Murat Ongun, construction chief Tuncay Yılmaz, sports club head Fatih Keleş and Beyoğlu mayor İnan Güney. So far, 51 accused have been released and five remain to give their defense. The court has scheduled the remaining defenses for early July, with İmamoğlu’s hearing set for 8‑9 July. Ongun, who also serves as chairman of Medya A.Ş., began his defense, claiming he was informed of the investigation as early as November 2024 and alleging political bias in the proceedings. Defence lawyers have argued that the case violates principles of double jeopardy and equal treatment, citing duplicate investigations and insufficient evidence. The prosecution seeks extreme prison terms – up to 2 500 years for İmamoğlu and up to 779 years for Ongun – on charges of organized crime, bribery, bid‑rigging and money‑laundering. Several defendants, including former city officials and businesspeople, have described the trial as a politically motivated “A‑to‑Z” case. The hearing has drawn large public attention, with chants for the mayor and repeated calls for transparency. The trial is expected to conclude before the court’s summer recess in August.