Turkey seeks more than 2,000 years jail for Istanbul mayor

Ugur Yilmaz, Bloomberg News on Nov 11, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strongest rival, Ekrem Imamoglu, is facing the risk of life in prison, after a prosecutor requested a sentence of more than 2,000 years for the Istanbul mayor.

The unprecedented request escalates a legal battle for one of Turkey’s most prominent opposition figures and raises the prospect that he will be barred from running in the next presidential election — potentially sidelining him from active politics altogether.

Almost eight months after Imamoglu’s arrest for alleged corruption, authorities laid out the case over almost 4,000 pages, with the indictment naming 402 suspects and describing Imamoglu as “the founder and leader of a criminal organization.” The sprawling list of charges includes bribery, fraud, extortion, and tampering with tenders.

The court will have 15 days to decide whether to accept or reject the indictment and set a trial date if it allows the case to proceed. Imamoglu earlier denied any wrongdoing, calling the case a “transparent attempt” to prevent him from running for president.

Turkey’s stocks slumped on the news, with the benchmark index in Istanbul dropping as much as 3.8% before paring some of the losses. Bonds also took a hit, with the yield on 10-year lira debt rising 28 basis points to 32.61%.

The move is much less pronounced than in March, when Imamoglu’s arrest sparked a market meltdown and forced authorities to spend more than $50 billion from central bank reserves to defend the lira. But it highlights apprehension over Turkey’s intensifying crackdown on the opposition.

“The indictment could have far-reaching political and institutional implications, most notably the potential appointment of a government-appointed trustee to run Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality” Wolfango Piccoli, co-president of Teneo consulting firm, said in a report.

Imamoglu, who was slated to run as presidential candidate for Turkey’s largest opposition force, risks cumulative sentences ranging from 828 years to 2,352 years. The prosecutor also requested that the Supreme Court investigate whether the Republican People’s Party benefited from the alleged crimes.

The CHP’s politician also faces separate charges in several other cases. A long term conviction could effectively sideline Imamoglu, forcing the CHP to scramble for a strong candidate, while deepening investor concerns over political stability.

The Turkish mayor’s arrest has drawn criticism from international rights groups and democracy watchdogs. But Imamoglu has criticized Western leaders for their muted response, accusing them of prioritizing geopolitical interests over democratic values.

The indictment adds to pressure on Turkey’s opposition, which has markedly increased this year. Opposition municipalities have faced back to back probes, with hundreds of officials detained in corruption investigations following the opposition’s gains in the 2024 local elections.

Imamoglu rose to national prominence after defeating Erdogan’s AK Party in Istanbul in 2019, marking the president’s first major electoral loss in more than two decades. Since then, he has become the face of the opposition and the target of multiple court cases.

The mayor’s legal troubles intensified after Istanbul University retroactively annulled his diploma in March, stripping him of the qualifications required to run for president. In August, he said he would consider endorsing another candidate if barred from the race, signaling he was settling in for a prolonged legal battle.