Istanbul Court Hears 90th Hearing in Imamoglu Corruption Trial

The 90th hearing in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality corruption trial concluded on September 30 with the court adjourning until the next day. A total of 436 defendants, 57 of whom are detained, face charges including forming a criminal organization, bribery, and bid-rigging.

Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, labeled "organization leader" in the 3,809-page indictment, faces up to 2,352 years in prison across 142 separate acts. He rejected all allegations, stating no illicit money ever passed through him.

“Not a single haram kurus has passed through my throat.”

Detained defendant Serkan Yildiz testified he paid 133,000 lira in August and September 2024 to a person named Eyup, allegedly linked to Emrah Bagdatli, to protect 15 million lira in receivables from Kultur AS. He claimed other firms made similar payments.

IBB map engineer Yakup Onur, a released defendant, testified that business owners paid large sums unwillingly, feeling their current and future contracts depended on compliance despite no explicit threats.

Onur also described a three-person advisory structure under the mayor — Ertan Yildiz, Murat Ongun, and Yigit Oguz Duman — each controlling distinct areas, rejecting claims of a hierarchical criminal chain.

The indictment lists 18 charge categories including fraud, embezzlement, and illegal personal data processing. The court will continue hearing defenses in the next session.