Imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has been charged with espionage in a new court case concerning Turkey’s 2019 local elections. The charge was, announced Sunday (October 26), also included journalist Merdan Yanardağ and Necati Özkan, one of the mayor’s advisors.
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| Imprisoned Istanbul Mayor charged with espionage in new case Imprisoned Istanbul Mayor charged with espionage in new case |
İmamoğlu has been in prison since March 19th, when he was detained in a corruption probe. The mayor’s arrest triggered Turkey’s largest protests in over a decade.
Accusations of espionage
In an October 24th announcement regarding an ongoing espionage investigation, the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor accused İmamoğlu and Özkan of conspiring with his aid Hüseyin Gün, a suspect detained in early July accused of communication with foreign intelligence agencies.
In the Chief Prosecutor’s announcement, İmamoğlu and Özkan were accused of “contact with foreign intelligence agencies with the goal of manipulating election results” in Turkey’s 2019 local elections, in which İmamoğlu won the Istanbul mayorship.
The announcement also specified the alleged motive of İmamoğlu and Özkan’s espionage as being “generating funds for the presidential candidacy of criminal group leader Ekrem İmamoğlu”.
Shortly after his March 19th arrest, İmamoğlu was officially nominated as the presidential candidate of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
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İmamoğlu’s statement
In his defense statement, İmamoğlu said he was the victim of conspiracy theory, saying: “I am being confronted with a massive conspiracy theory; saying that I burned down Rome would be more accurate.”
Journalist Merdan Yanardağ also defended himself in a statement, saying: “I am leftist, patriotic journalist. The notion that I performed any actions to the detriment of my country or its people is completely unthinkable.” Yanardağ’s TELE1 TV station was recently taken over by a government-appointed trustee following a 5-day broadcast ban in early September.
In Necati Özkan’s defense statement, the İmamoğlu advisor refuted the accusations made by suspect Hüseyin Gün alleging he had forwarded intelligence reports to the İstanbul Mayor, saying:
“The accusation made by Hüseyin Gün that I received reports from him and then forwarded them to Ekrem İmamoğlu is a lie…I do not accept any of Hüseyin Gün’s statements against me.”
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CHP leader holds rally at Istanbul courthouse
On Sunday afternoon, CHP leader Özgür Özel held a rally in front of Istanbul’s Cağlayan courthouse, where İmamoğlu was inside giving his defense statement.
Addressing a large crowd, Özel said “This espionage investigation is a sign that the Chief Prosecutor has become desperate.”
At the rally, Özel also accused suspect Hüseyin Gün of being a British spy.
The espionage case against İmamoğlu has reignited fears that a government-selected trustee may be appointed to replace Istanbul’s opposition-held municipal government. Speaking to this threat, Özel addressed the prospect of a trustee appointment, saying:
“The fact that are no trustees in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality today, the fact that the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality is governed by a representative from the municipal council elected by the people of Istanbul, the fact that Ekrem İmamoğlu is ahead by a large margin in presidential opinion polls– this is all thanks to Saraçhane [Istanbul’s city hall].”
İmamoğlu’s legal problems continue to grow
The espionage case is just the latest in a long list of court cases targeting the imprisoned Istanbul Mayor, who is widely recognized as Turkey’s most prominent opposition politician and most likely future challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Other cases targeting the mayor include: allegations that İmamoğlu insulted members of Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK) during the Istanbul election rerun in 2019, allegations that he interfered with official tender bids during his term as Beylikdüzü district mayor from 2014-2019, an investigation into ‘improper use of public funds’ by the Istanbul municipality, an investigation regarding comments by the mayor alleging prosecutor reports against him were falsified, as well as a case alleging that he falsified his university diploma.
İmamoğlu’s university diploma was annulled on March 18th, just a day prior to his arrest. The move disqualified İmamoğlu from presidential eligibility, as a valid university degree is a prerequisite for seeking Turkey’s highest office.
