Istanbul mayor faces massive jail time as Erdogan tightens grip ahead of elections

So, the 55-year-old Mayor of Istanbul, İmamoğlu, who has been behind bars for nearly a year, is accused of large-scale corruption. He is the main defendant among 400 individuals linked to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

The former official is charged with bribery and corruption, facing a potential sentence of hundreds of years in prison. However, İmamoğlu and his Republican People's Party (CHP) deny all the accusations.

The opposition and human rights activists are confident that the case was fabricated to prevent the most popular rival of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan from running in the next presidential election.

Trial in prison: Hundreds of years behind bars

The case will be heard in the courthouse of the Silivri prison complex, where İmamoğlu has been held for nearly a year, and which has become the center of judicial repression against the opposition ahead of next year's elections.

Blow to presidential ambitions

İmamoğlu has long been considered the only politician capable of defeating Erdoğan in an election. Recently, however, his position has been systematically undermined through the judicial system:

• Imprisonment: The politician has already spent a year in isolation.
• Diploma scandal: In January, a court rejected a lawsuit seeking to annul his university diploma. Without official confirmation of higher education, he is legally unable to run for president.
• Repression of the party: Human rights activists from Human Rights Watch state that Türkiye's criminal justice system has been weaponized against the opposition.

Meanwhile, official Ankara denies any interference in the courts.

"I simply did my duty ​as a public prosecutor. My conscience is clear," the newly appointed Justice Minister Akin Gurlek, who previously personally led the investigation against the mayor as a prosecutor, assures of his impartiality.

Although the next elections are scheduled for 2028, the 72-year-old Erdoğan may call early elections to seek a third term. To do this, he needs to clear the political field of strong competitors. İmamoğlu's imprisonment effectively paralyzes the country's main opposition force and jeopardizes the democratic standards of the NATO member.

İmamoğlu himself remains defiant. In a comment to Reuters, he called on Erdoğan not to hide behind the courts but to announce open elections immediately.

Recently, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that the war between Ukraine and Russia may be approaching its end. He voiced this assessment following negotiations with Vladimir Putin.

At the same time, Türkiye considers attacks on tankers of the Russian shadow fleet unacceptable. This allegedly represents an escalation of Russia's war against Ukraine.