İmamoğlu Faces Over 23 Years of Potential Prison Sentence

In the indictment prepared by the Terror Crimes Investigation Bureau, İmamoğlu is charged with attempting to influence a fair trial, and a prison sentence ranging from two to four years is requested.

The indictment also includes a demand for the deprivation of rights. If convicted on this charge, İmamoğlu would lose his right to vote and stand for election, as well as be barred from holding public office during the sentence period.

Once accepted by the relevant Istanbul Criminal Court, the date for the court hearing will be set. In response to the investigation, İmamoğlu held President Erdoğan responsible, calling for an end to "games played through the judiciary." He stated: “The signatures of President Erdoğan are behind the cases where I am facing up to 25 years in prison, not anyone else’s. You can’t deceive anyone. I invite him to face me bravely in the arena, like a man from Kasımpaşa, and to stop playing games through the judiciary. This nation values those who are brave and honest.”

Imamoğlu’s Remarks on the Expert Witness

On January 27, during a press conference at the Saraçhane municipal building, İmamoğlu criticized S.A., a frequently appointed expert witness in investigations involving IMM and its subsidiaries. İmamoğlu accused him of malice, citing the expert’s involvement in several investigations, including one regarding a tender during his time as the mayor of Beylikdüzü in 2015. Despite the Council of State ruling in his favor, the case was reopened, with the expert claiming that İmamoğlu was responsible for the tender.

Imamoğlu remarked: "This expert presented a report stating that I was responsible for the tender. He didn’t take any action regarding the internal audit report of the municipality. This claim is serious and important, but there's a problem—such a report doesn’t exist."

He also pointed out that S.A. had been appointed as an expert in several investigations concerning IMM, including a case involving IETT in February 2024, and another concerning an asphalt company, ISFALT, in September 2023. İmamoğlu claimed that these investigations, particularly after the Beşiktaş and Esenyurt operations, were being aimed at IMM. He noted that S.A. had been chosen as the expert for these cases despite previous findings of misconduct, with the expert later changing his stance on a key report, reversing his earlier findings of wrongdoing.