Turkey's main opposition says judges unfit to oversee case against jailed Istanbul mayor

Record ID: 2365207

  • Title: Turkey's main opposition says judges unfit to oversee case against jailed Istanbul mayor
  • Date: 9th March 2026
  • Summary: SILIVRI, ISTANBUL, TURKEY (MARCH 9, 2026) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MARMARA PRISON COMPLEX, WHERE JAILED ISTANBUL MAYOR EKREM IMAMOGLU IS BEING HELD (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) REPUBLICAN PEOPLE'S PARTY (CHP) LEADER, OZGUR OZEL, SAYING: "They (panel of judges) couldn't even initiate the trial. We followed with great sadness that we are faced with a panel that no one would believe in,
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: COURTHOUSE EKREM IMAMOGLU HEARING ISTANBUL MAYOR TURKEY
  • Location: SILIVRI, ISTANBUL, TURKEY
  • City: SILIVRI, ISTANBUL, TURKEY
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,Europe,Middle East,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001235209032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS NOTE: Please also see edit 2166-TURKEY-POLITICS/COURT-IMAMOGLU for more of the first hearing.
    Istanbul's jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, argued with the presiding judge on Monday (March 9)  in a chaotic start to a sweeping corruption trial that could extinguish the ambition of Tayyip Erdogan's main rival to become president at Turkey's next election.
    Imamoglu, 55, who  is jailed in the Marmara prison complex, demanded permission to speak and urged the judge to "respect the right of people to defend themselves" - but the judge refused as he launched the trial of more than 400 defendants linked to the Istanbul municipality.
    Imamoglu is accused of leading a criminal organisation for profit, involving tender-rigging and bribery. He and his main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deny the corruption charges, which carry prison sentences amounting to hundreds of years.
    After the hearing, the leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) said that the panel of judges was unfit to oversee the case against Imamoglu.
    Police maintained tight security outside the courthouse at Silivri prison west of Istanbul, where Imamoglu has been held in pre-trial detention for almost a year amid a judicial crackdown on the CHP that is overshadowing politics ahead of elections expected to be held next year.
    (Production: Bulent Usta, Ali Kucukgocmen)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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