WIDESPREAD FRAUD, BRIBERY, ILLEGAL DATA COLLECTION: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE ARREST OF ISTANBUL’S MAYOR IMAMOGLU

Tue 25 March 2025:

When Ekrem Imamoglu, representing the opposition Republican People’s Party, won the Istanbul mayoral elections twice (2019 and 2024), Western predictions and those from anti-reform Arab states claimed he would be Turkiye’s next president, defeating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

These same speculations resurfaced after his arrest on March 19, 2025, following charges of financial and administrative corruption and support for a terrorist organization.

Opponents of Erdogan believe the arrest was a move to prevent Imamoglu from running in the 2028 presidential election, even though Erdogan cannot run for a third term due to constitutional limits.

Turkiye’s secular opposition also tried to frame the situation as a “coup” by Erdogan, as reported by Reuters.

The paradox, however, is that Western media and those aligned with anti-revolutionary states, particularly the UAE, have once again tried to recreate the 2016 coup scene, inflating the significance of Imamoglu’s arrest and discussing a revolution against Erdogan.

They exaggerated the limited protests by the secular opposition, even publishing images of large, old protests from India and Serbia, claiming they were from Turkiye.

During the failed 2016 military coup in Turkiye, Western countries, the UAE media, and suspicious platforms supported the coup, spreading false news such as the claim by Sky News Arabia that Erdogan had fled to Germany.

Turkish authorities detained President Tayyip #Erdogan‘s main political rival Ekrem #Imamoglu on Wednesday on an array of charges including corruption and aiding a terrorist group. Here’s more about his arrest pic.twitter.com/aLyM2pZcK2

— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) March 19, 2025

The Reasons Behind His Arrest

Although he is also accused of forging his university degree, Imamoglu was arrested as part of an investigation into a corruption scheme involving nearly 100 other individuals. Turkish prosecutors claim he is involved in leading a group supporting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is classified as a terrorist organization.

The Istanbul prosecutor’s office announced that the investigation was based on eyewitness testimonies accusing Imamoglu and his associates of pressuring businessmen into making illegal payments, laundering money, and manipulating municipal tenders for financial gain.

Imamoglu is also charged with appointing his close allies to senior positions within the Greater Istanbul Municipality and its branches after taking office, facilitating corrupt activities. Additional charges include misconduct involving tender manipulation, widespread fraud, bribery, and illegal data collection.

“The scale of the corruption is immense. They demanded millions in bribes from businessmen. When they refused, they were fined through the municipality. These businessmen filed complaints with the public prosecutor,” Turkish journalist Ismail Yasa posted on X.

“There were invoices for concerts and entertainment programs during the pandemic, but in reality, none of these events took place—they were all fictional. Where are they?”

حجم الفساد كبير للغاية.. طلبوا من رجال الأعمال رشاوي بالملايين.. ولما رفضوا غرموهم عن طريق البلدية.. رجال الأعمال هؤلاء رفعوا شكاوى إلى النيابة العامة.. وهناك فواتير لحفلات غنائية وبرامج ترفيهية أيام كورونا ولكن في الحقيقة لم ينظموا أيا من تلك الحفلات والبرامج.. كلها خيالية.. أين…

— إسماعيل ياشا (@ismail_yasa) March 19, 2025

Among those arrested were Mayor Imamoglu, his advisor Murat Ongun, Sisli Mayor Resul Ekrem Sahan, Beylikduzu district Mayor Murat Calik, and singer Ercan Saatci, and 84 other suspects. Authorities are still working to capture 22 other suspects.

Imamoglu was also accused of involvement in the “Urban Consensus” initiative, believed to have aimed at boosting the influence of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in major cities by offering mutual support to certain candidates.

The Turkish prosecution considered Imamoglu as the “leader of the organization” in the case file, intensifying the political and legal crisis surrounding him. Mahir Polat, the Greater Istanbul municipality deputy secretary-general, was arrested as part of the ongoing investigation.

The prosecutor’s office also announced the seizure of a construction company partly owned by the detained Istanbul mayor, “Imamoglu Construction, Trade, and Industry,” following a court order linked to financial crime investigations, Reuters has found.

Turkish journalists, including Ozan Ozcan, who filed the forgery complaint against Ekrem Imamoglu, estimated the amount of money embezzled from Istanbul Municipality over six years at 560 billion lira.

Ozcan commented that with this amount, 17 bridges like the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge could have been built, or 13 dams like the Ataturk Dam, or 157 fighter jets like the national KAAN fighters, or 25 ships like the TCG Anadolu. However, these figures are described as highly exaggerated.

İBB yolsuzluğundaki 560 milyar TL ile:
-810 milyon $ olan Y. S. Selim Köprüsünden 17
-1.25 milyar $ ile dünyada 3. olan Atatürk Barajından 13
-100 milyon $ olan Milli Muharip Kaan uçağından 157
-650 milyon $ olan TCG Anadolu gemisinden 25 tane yapılabileceğini biliyor muydunuz? pic.twitter.com/PEuxsCdEit

— Ozan Özcan (@ozanozcnn) March 19, 2025

Financial Corruption or Political Struggle?

Imamoglu and the secular opposition have attempted to portray the case as political, with Imamoglu declaring that he will not surrender and will continue to resist pressure. His aim is to shift the battle from “criminal” to “political,” suggesting that the real goal is to prevent him from running for president in 2028 against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, despite the fact that Erdogan would be ineligible to run again.

According to the constitution, presidents can only serve two terms, and Erdogan can only run again if the constitution is amended, which would require two-thirds of parliamentary votes. Alternatively, an early election could be called, granting Erdogan at least another five years in power, though his second term would be incomplete. However, the decision would also rest with parliament, as outlined in Article 116 of the constitution. Erdogan has hinted that he may not participate in any upcoming elections.

Imamoglu belongs to the Republican People’s Party (CHP), led by Ozgur Ozal, and became the mayor of Istanbul in 2019, ending the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) dominance of the city since 2002. In the most recent 2024 municipal elections, he was re-elected with 51.14% of the vote.

Before his arrest, Istanbul University announced on March 18, 2025, that it had revoked Imamoglu’s degree for violations, including using the wrong university name. He had transferred to Eastern Mediterranean University instead of Girne American University, which wasn’t officially accredited.

The university’s statement revealed that in 1990, 38 individuals, including Imamoglu, were transferred to an English language program at the Faculty of Management in violation of regulations. It also stated that the degrees of 28 individuals, including Imamoglu, were revoked for being invalid due to clear breaches of the Higher Education Council’s regulations, following an investigation into forged official documents related to university degrees.

Imamoglu, who cannot run for president without a valid degree, did not deny the forgery but shifted the issue into a political battle.

He slammed the move as “unlawful” and promised to fight the decision in court.

“They [the university] do not have the authority to make such a decision. The authority lies solely with the Board of Directors of the Faculty of Business Administration.”

“The days when those who made this decision will be held accountable before history and justice are near. The march of our nation, thirsty for justice, law and democracy, cannot be stopped,” he said.

If the university’s decision stands, Imamoglu will be barred from running for president due to the legal requirement for a university degree.

Turkish journalist Muhamed Erdogan points out that the issue of Imamoglu’s illegitimate university degree is not new—it dates back to 2019. Most of the complaints came from individuals within the Republican People’s Party, amid internal party struggles. Iit was also a CHP member who exposed the illegal distribution of money to exempt the municipality from taxes and who brought the case to court. Erdogan also noted that many secular journalists, including Can Ataklı, Baris Yarkadas, and academic lawyer Ersan Sen, have been critical of Imamoglu.

ثريد / توضيح بخصوص الذين يدعون ان اردوغان عمداً وبشكل ممنهج القى القبض على رئيس بلدية اسطنبول الذي رشح نفسه للرئاسة التركية من حزب الشعب الجمهوري العلماني وتفاصيل اخرى التي تتساءلون عنها.

يُتبع

— Muhammet Erdoğan - محمد أردوغان (@Muhamed_Erdogan) March 19, 2025

A Blow to the Opposition?

Immediately following Imamoglu’s arrest, the Kemalist opposition party, CHP, seized the moment to rally its supporters in the streets, claiming that the arrest was politically motivated, not criminal, as the Turkish police and judiciary had stated.

Turkish analysts and Western reports suggest that, regardless of the criminal charges against Imamoglu, this case will have significant political repercussions. It is seen as a major blow to the opposition just days before they were expected to decide on him as their presidential candidate for the upcoming elections.

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This move could derail Imamoglu’s plans to challenge Erdogan in the 2028 elections, coming just days before his expected official nomination by the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Imamoglu’s future appears uncertain after his arrest. The terrorism charges against him could give Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya the authority to dismiss him from office and appoint a government-backed replacement until the court proceedings conclude.

The investigation’s revelation of corruption and bribery within opposition ranks could significantly disillusion voters, potentially diminishing support for them in the upcoming elections.

This article is republished from Alestiklal. Read the original article

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Independent Press staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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