Trial of Ekrem Imamoglu for alleged political espionage begins in Istanbul

The trial of former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and co-defendants Necati Ozkan, Merdan Yanardag, and businessman Huseyin Gun opened at the 25th High Criminal Court in Silivri. Prosecutors accuse the group of political espionage related to the unauthorized access and transfer of citizen data between 2019 and 2025. The prosecution alleges that Huseyin Gun, who is seeking favorable treatment, maintained contacts with intelligence services from the UK, USA, and Israel to influence municipal elections. The indictment spans approximately 160 pages and relies on digital data, communication records, and witness testimony. Prosecutors have requested prison sentences ranging from 15 to 20 years for all defendants and have included a request for a political ban for Imamoglu. During the first hearing, Imamoglu dismissed the charges as politically motivated, labeling the indictment as fabricated evidence. He rejected the legitimacy of the documents, describing the trial as an attempt to intervene in Turkish democratic processes.