İmamoğlu Accuses AKP of Massive Corruption: “You Created $85 Billion in Unjust Profits in Istanbul Over 15 Years”

Detained presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has levelled explosive accusations against the ruling AKP, claiming the party handed out $85 billion in illicit profits through controversial urban development over a 15-year span. He shared this accusation through his new X account. The preivous ones were banned by court order.

“You Destroyed Green Spaces, Earthquake Assembly Zones, Military Lands”

Reaching out to his audience from his cell, İmamoğlu, who has been imprisoned for 55 days in Marmara Prison in Silivri, delivered a scathing critique of AKP’s urban policies in Istanbul. “The era of betraying Istanbul is over. The city now has millions of protectors,” he declared.

“You opened up green areas, earthquake assembly zones, and military lands for development. You issued zoning exemptions for the benefit of a select few. You destroyed the city, you crippled its traffic. Just in 130 projects over 15 years, the public land and zoning maneuvering you exploited handed $85 billion in unearned income to certain parties,” he stated.

“The Same People Who Ruined the City Now Smear My Colleagues on TV”

In a continuation of his remarks, İmamoğlu addressed the ongoing smear campaign against his inner circle by powerful business interests close to the ruling party. He specifically targeted Emrullah Turanlı, owner of construction giant Taş Yapı, who had recently accused İmamoğlu of being linked to a criminal network.

“The very same people who helped you ruin this city now have the audacity to go on TV and slander my colleagues,” İmamoğlu said. “Apparently, my comrades stood against rent-seeking projects. I’m proud of each and every one of them for doing so. Every one of my colleagues is a guardian of Istanbul—they have stood and will always stand against those who betray this city.”

“The Era of Handouts to a Select Few is Over”

Reinforcing his anti-corruption stance, İmamoğlu underscored his administration’s resistance to speculative construction and zoning projects that benefit a privileged elite. “The era of channeling public wealth to a handful of cronies is long gone,” he stated. “The very fact that you’re sending these people to attack us on television is proof enough that they belong to the same rentier clique.”

As the opposition candidate continues to campaign from behind bars, his defiant tone underscores both his political resilience and the gravity of the urban transformation debate in Istanbul—one that has become central to the upcoming presidential election.

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