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The latest conviction of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, marks a critical escalation in Turkey's ongoing erosion of judicial independence and democratic norms. As one of the most prominent opposition figures in the country, İmamoğlu’s legal troubles highlight what rights groups call a pattern of political persecution ahead of the 2028 general elections.
On January 20, an investigation was launched against İmamoğlu for allegedly “threatening” Istanbul's Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek and his family. The charges relate to a comment İmamoğlu made during a panel on law and politicization of the judiciary in Turkey.
In a sweeping crackdown framed around alleged corruption and terror links on March 19 — just as İmamoğlu was poised to be nominated as the CHP’s presidential candidate for the 2028 elections — he was detained and then arrested. Since then, a systematic campaign of arrests and investigations targeting the CHP and other civic actors has continued unabated, putting both Turkey's democratic path and its rule of law under the spotlight.
On July 16, the court convicted İmamoğlu of insulting and threatening Gürlek, but acquitted him of the charge of publicly identifying him with the intent of making him a target. The popular mayor was sentenced to a year and seven months in prison. Having denied the charges, İmamoğlu is expected to appeal the verdict.
Gürlek has presided over high profile political trials including that of Selahattin Demirtaş, the former co-chair of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP); Sırrı Süreyya Önder, the now-deceased HDP deputy; and Canan Kaftancıoğlu, the İstanbul chair of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) who was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison over her social media posts.
The prosecutor also issued an order to confiscate the properties of journalist Can Dündar, whom he declared a “fugitive,” and sentenced Sebnem Korur-Fincancı, the head of the Turkish Medical Association, to two years and six months in prison on charges of alleged “terrorist organization propaganda.”
On July 21, the CHP filed a complaint with the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) against Gürlek and two other prosecutors involved in the investigation into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), suggesting that some of the presiding judge's past rulings were political and not in keeping with the transparency of the judicial process. In its statement, the CHP emphasized that the investigations into the charges leveled against İmamoğlu and other party members have become systematic in nature, violating not only individual rights and freedoms but also the core principles of a democratic state governed by the rule of law.
As of July 21, at least 16 mayors representing the CHP have been suspended from office due to alleged corruption charges. According to reporting by Bianet, the charges include “establishing a criminal organization,” “bribery,” “extortion,” and “bid rigging.” The charges mirror those used during the March crackdown that targeted the opposition in general, and the mayor of Istanbul in particular. Dozens of municipality staff have also been arrested or detained, most recently on July 18 and 21. Among the allegations leveled against them are bribery and manipulation of public tenders.
Meanwhile, the CHP faces a mutlak butlan (absolute nullity) lawsuit initiated by a party member reportedly aligned with its former chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who was replaced by Özgür Özel at the party's 38th Ordinary Congress in November 2023. The lawsuit alleges procedural violations and potential vote-buying during the congress, raising questions about the legitimacy of Özel's leadership.
Özel's legal team argues the case should be dismissed, citing the expiration of the filing deadline and the fact that party conventions fall under electoral board jurisdiction, not civil courts. Should the courts rule the 2023 congress legally void, it could trigger a leadership crisis, potentially paving the way for Kılıçdaroğlu's return. Such a ruling would also nullify all decisions taken by the party's current leadership since the congress.
On June 19, all 81 provincial chairpersons of the CHP met in Ankara, and issued a joint statement refusing to recognize any such court order. Supporters of Özel view the lawsuit as an act of political revenge aimed at regaining control of the party and ultimately purging internal rivals such as İmamoğlu. Under Kılıçdaroğlu's 13-year of leadership, the party lost every nationwide election, including the 2023 general election.
İmamoğlu’s sentencing, coupled with a broader crackdown on opposition mayors and civil society, reflects an alarming trend in Turkey’s democratic backsliding. As the country moves toward the 2028 elections, the judiciary appears increasingly instrumentalized, not just sidelining political rivals but also weakening the guardrails of accountability and dissent. Whether the opposition can regroup amid legal turmoil and internal fractures remains to be seen — but the stakes for Turkey’s democratic future could not be higher.
