İmamoğlu's 'political espionage' trial opens in Silivri
Jailed over a year, Erdoğan's strongest rival faces 15-20 years on espionage charges and a separate indictment seeking up to 2,430 — and tells the court the nation will decide at the ballot box
Summary
The "political espionage" (casusluk) trial of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu opened in Silivri, with co-defendants Merdan Yanardağ, Necati Özkan and Hüseyin Gün. The indictment, accepted by Istanbul's 25th Heavy Penal Court on 18 February 2026, seeks 15-20 years under Article 328 for passing state secrets to a foreign state; the theory is that businessman Gün — now a state witness — helped foreign-intelligence-linked figures use İBB municipal data and campaign analytics to sway the 2019 Istanbul election. On 13 May the court kept İmamoğlu and three others jailed; he has been held over a year, since his 19 March 2025 arrest. A separate ~4,000-page corruption indictment alleges 142 offences and up to 2,430 years. In court İmamoğlu said he had not read "a single page" and that "the nation will decide again at the ballot box." The case proceeds as a court removes the CHP's leader.
By the numbers
- 15-20 — years sought in the espionage case (Article 328).
- 18 Feb 2026 — indictment accepted; trial opened May 2026.
- 19 Mar 2025 — İmamoğlu's arrest; held over a year.
- ~2,430 — maximum years sought in the separate 142-count corruption indictment.
Why it matters
İmamoğlu is the opposition's most plausible challenger to Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Jailing and trying him on espionage — a charge harder to dismiss as ordinary politics than corruption — keeps him out of the 2028 race while the CHP is decapitated from above, clearing the field as Erdoğan pursues a constitutional path to another term.
What to watch
- Whether the court grants release pending trial or extends detention.
- Verdicts in the parallel corruption case and any conviction barring him from office.
- The CHP's ability to mount a defence amid its own leadership crisis.