Five opposition mayors sentenced in Istanbul corruption trial

On Monday, August 24, 2026, an Istanbul court delivered sentences to five mayors from the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), who were found guilty of corruption and related offenses. The prison terms handed down range from five years to 23 years and three months. These officials were among those arrested during the first half of 2025 as part of an ongoing judicial pressure campaign against political figures opposing the administration of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Among the convicted is Riza Akpolat, the mayor of the Besiktas district in Istanbul, who received a 23-year and three-month sentence for charges including corruption, money laundering, and illegal public procurement practices, though he was acquitted of being a member of a criminal organization. In a separate ruling, the mayor of an undisclosed highly-populated Istanbul suburb, whose trial began in late February, received an eight-month suspended sentence for negligence in office. Conversely, the opposition mayor of Adiyaman in southeastern Turkey was acquitted of all charges.

The cases, which stem from arrests made throughout 2025, reflect the broader trend of legal challenges targeting opposition members within Turkey. The judicial process, involving multiple officials elected during the 2024 municipal cycle, has now reached its verdict stage for these specific defendants.