Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu Sentenced to 1 Year and 8 Months in Prison

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu—who has held office since 2019 and is widely regarded as President Erdogan’s main political rival—was sentenced on Wednesday by a Turkish court to one year and eight months in prison over remarks he made against the head of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The sentence does not include a political ban.

This case predates the legal actions that led to Imamoglu’s arrest on March 19 and is not directly connected to those more recent proceedings.

The investigation in question began on January 20, following a televised interview in which Imamoglu criticized Prosecutor Akın Gürlek and his family. He faced charges of public insult, threats, and targeting of public officials involved in counterterrorism efforts.

Imamoglu already faces a pending prison sentence of two years, seven months, and 15 days related to his 2019 comments in which he referred to members of Turkey’s Supreme Election Council as “fools” after the annulment of his initial mayoral victory. Elections were held again, with Imamoglu decisively leading in those as well.

The role of Akın Gürlek

Akın Gürlek, 43, has played a central role in several politically sensitive cases. As both a judge and later a prosecutor, he oversaw high-profile trials targeting opposition figures, including the conviction of the former co-chair of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtaş, and legal action against mayors of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) across Istanbul districts. Gürlek also previously served as Deputy Minister of Justice.

In May, Turkish prosecutors also launched a separate investigation against CHP leader Özgür Özel for comments he made about Gürlek, accusing him of threatening a judicial official and publicly insulting a public servant.

During a June 4 rally in Istanbul’s Gaziosmanpaşa district, Özel strongly criticized Gürlek for the arrest of five CHP mayors in connection with the widening corruption probe involving Imamoglu. Özel has previously referred to Gürlek as a “roaming guillotine.”

Trial date set for Imamoglu in degree forgery case

The trial of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who has been in pre-trial detention since March on corruption charges and accusations of forging his university degree, has been scheduled for September 11, according to the Anadolu Agency and an indictment obtained by AFP.

Imamoglu, widely seen as the main political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of the 2028 presidential elections, was arrested on March 19 and is currently being held in Silivri Prison. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to eight years and nine months in prison, along with the loss of his political rights.

According to the indictment filed by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the charges involve “forgery of official documents,” specifically related to his university degree. The day before his arrest, the Istanbul University board annulled his degree, a move that could disqualify him from running for office in the future.