The Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched a new investigation into detained Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who began presenting his defense in the İBB case on 14 October, on a charge of “insulting public officials because of their duties” over statements he made at the 15 October hearing. Prosecutors alleged that İmamoğlu targeted members of the judiciary conducting the investigation. Presenting his defense after about 600 days in detention, İmamoğlu described the operations that began on 19 March 2025 as a “coup.” He said Justice Minister Akın Gürlek had requested a meeting with him after being appointed Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor, but that the meeting was canceled. He criticized the deployment of hundreds of police officers to his home on the morning he was detained. İmamoğlu argued that the criminal organization chart in the indictment was in fact İBB’s organizational chart and said the municipality had been audited 147 times between 2014 and 2019 and 1,590 times between 2019 and 2025. He requested that Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu be heard as a witness regarding allegations concerning the purchase of the CHP Istanbul Provincial Organization building. Opposition party officials also attended the hearing.
15 October 2026
BBC News Türkçe