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Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in shouting match with judge as trial begins
Detainees must review tens of thousands of pages of documents with just two hours of weekly computer access
Ozgur Ozel, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Dilek Imamoglu, wife of Ekrem Imamoglu, the jailed mayor of Istanbul and main rival of President Tayyip Erdogan, address the media, 9 March 2026 (Umit Bektas/Reuters)
Ozgur Ozel, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Dilek Imamoglu, wife of Ekrem Imamoglu, the jailed mayor of Istanbul and main rival of President Tayyip Erdogan, address the media, 9 March 2026 (Umit Bektas/Reuters)
By Güldenay Sonumut in Istanbul, Turkey
Published date: 9 March 2026 17:05 GMT | Last update: 11 hours 37 mins ago
Temperatures rose quickly on the opening day of the mass corruption trial involving Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and more than 400 co-defendants, with the mayor challenging the judge and seeking permission to address supporters at the outset of the hearing.
The judges did not allow Imamoglu to proceed, arguing that such a request was not part of regular court procedure, as the mayor’s supporters chanted slogans in his favour.
Imamoglu walked towards the bench, asking to speak. The presiding judge ordered his microphone to be switched off. “You cannot continue like this,” the judge warned.
Imamoglu responded: “Starting the trial in this way is very wrong. People who have been victimised here must be able to defend themselves.”
Imamoglu, 55, faces more than 140 charges including corruption and running a criminal organisation. He and his party, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), deny the charges, which carry potential prison sentences ranging from hundreds to 2,340 years.
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The trial carries significant political implications. Imamoglu, a leading opposition figure widely viewed as a potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has become one of the most prominent political figures facing legal scrutiny in Turkey. He has been under arrest since March 2025.
Lawyers representing the Istanbul mayor, who is currently suspended from the office, accused the court of procedural irregularities, limited access to evidence and judicial bias, shaping the first hours of what is expected to become one of Turkey’s most consequential political trials in years.
A vast trial
The long-awaited proceedings began on Monday at the Silivri court complex, west of Istanbul, where one of the country’s largest courtrooms - capable of holding roughly 1,000 people - was assigned to accommodate the extraordinary scale of the case.
In total, 407 defendants are being tried, including 107 currently in pre-trial detention, seven listed as fugitives, and nearly 300 released pending trial.
Court officials indicated that the identity verification stage alone could take up to two days, highlighting the logistical complexity of the proceedings.
'Starting the trial in this way is very wrong. People who have been victimised here must be able to defend themselves'
- Ekrem Imamoglu, suspended Istanbul mayor
Before the hearing began, Dilek Imamoglu, the mayor’s wife, briefly addressed reporters. “I saw Mr Imamoglu last week. His morale was very good,” she said.
“We requested that the hearings be broadcast live, but that request was rejected. We hope our request for release pending trial will also be considered.”
Several high-ranking opposition politicians and members of parliament, including CHP chairman Ozgur Ozel, attended the hearing.
Shortly afterwards, the first detained defendants were escorted into the courtroom by gendarmerie officers forming a security corridor.
Some attempted to wave to relatives seated in the gallery, prompting brief protests when officers intervened.
Support for the mayor
As Ekrem Imamoglu entered the courtroom to loud applause from supporters, the mayor waved and blew kisses toward the audience.
At one point, Istanbul’s Adalar district mayor, Ali Ercan Akpolat, shouted from the public gallery: “Istanbul and the guardians of the Republic are proud of you.” The courtroom erupted again in applause.
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As proceedings began, the presiding judge outlined the structure of the trial, stating that detained defendants would be heard first. Imamoglu, the most prominent figure in the case, is expected to testify last.
The judge said the first phase of the trial, focusing on detained defendants, is expected to continue until the end of April, with hearings scheduled four days a week from Monday to Thursday.
However, defence lawyers immediately objected that the list of defendants scheduled to testify had not been formally shared with defence teams.
Several lawyers pointed out that while they had repeatedly requested the list from the court registry, they had been told it was not yet available.
Yet the same list, they argued, had already appeared in the pro-government daily Yeni Safak, raising concerns among the defence about the handling of procedural information.
Several lawyers argued that the hearing had begun without the formal verification of the identities of defendants and lawyers, calling it a fundamental procedural flaw.
Others alleged judicial bias, citing one defendant whose judicial control measures had reportedly been lifted earlier.
Defence missing evidence
Defence lawyers also raised concerns about access to evidence.
Nearly 100 pages of the indictment were reportedly missing from the electronic system, while detainees must review tens of thousands of pages of witness statements and supplementary documents with only two hours of weekly computer access.
One lawyer described the task as “a titanic effort” for detainees attempting to prepare their defence.
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The court also rejected a defence request seeking the recusal of the prosecutor, allowing the proceedings to continue.
According to the indictment, Imamoglu faces charges including “establishing a criminal organisation for the purpose of committing crimes”, “bribery”, “extortion (abuse of office)”, “laundering assets derived from criminal activity”, “bid rigging” and other offences.
The prosecution is seeking a total prison sentence ranging from 849 years to 2,430 years and six months.
Imamoglu has already suffered a severe blow to his presidential ambitions. In January, a court rejected his lawsuit challenging the cancellation of his university degree, a qualification required of any presidential candidate.
Erdogan, 72, has led Turkey as prime minister or president since 2003.
Presidential and parliamentary elections are not scheduled until 2028, but if he wishes to seek a third term as president, he would need to call early elections, likely in 2027, unless constitutional term limits are changed
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