Exclusive: İmamoğlu speaks out amid espionage charge

Ekrem İmamoğlu, the imprisoned mayor of Istanbul and presidential candidate for Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), has been charged with espionage. The new charges stem from an investigation into alleged connections between İmamoğlu’s 2019 mayoral campaign and Hüseyin Gün, a businessman arrested in July 2025 for conducting intelligence activities on behalf of foreign governments. Prosecutors allege that İmamoğlu shared personal data of Istanbul residents to secure international funding for his campaign.