Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu Accuses Judiciary of Bias as New Investigation Is Launched Against Him

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent figure from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), held a press conference on January 27 to address ongoing judicial probes targeting CHP-led municipalities. During the event, İmamoğlu alleged that politically motivated investigations are being orchestrated against opposition-run local governments, with a single expert, Satılmış Büyükcanayakın, repeatedly assigned to prepare reports for such cases.

Citing his own experience, İmamoğlu referred to a case from his tenure as Mayor of Beylikdüzü, where he was accused in a tender-related matter and faced potential political disqualification and a seven-year prison sentence. Despite a Council of State ruling absolving him of criminal responsibility, the court requested an expert report. According to İmamoğlu, Büyükcanayakın prepared an “extraordinary report” that contradicted the Council of State’s decision, leading to further legal proceedings.

“This individual is repeatedly assigned to these cases, even though there are 8,806 experts in Istanbul,” İmamoğlu remarked, underscoring what he sees as a lack of impartiality. He also pointed out procedural irregularities in Büyükcanayakın’s reports, including the absence of required co-signatures from additional experts, which rendered the reports invalid.

İmamoğlu claimed that Büyükcanayakın’s reports have been used in investigations against other CHP-led municipalities, including the recent arrests of Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat and Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer. He highlighted that Akpolat was accused of manipulating tenders, while Özer faced allegations of terrorism, with both mayors subsequently removed from office and replaced by government-appointed trustees.

Calling for accountability, İmamoğlu urged Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç to investigate Büyükcanayakın’s role in these cases. “Don’t try to talk about an independent judiciary. You know you can’t take action against this,” he stated.

However, shortly after the press conference, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an inquiry into İmamoğlu, accusing him of attempting to influence the judiciary by publicly naming the expert and questioning the impartiality of the process. The prosecutor’s office also ordered an investigation into media outlets that reported İmamoğlu’s statements.

This latest development follows a similar investigation launched against İmamoğlu last week, after he criticized the detention of CHP youth branch leader Cem Aydın, allegedly targeting prosecutor Akın Gürlek in his remarks.

The arrests and investigations of opposition mayors, including İmamoğlu, are seen by many as part of a broader government crackdown on dissent ahead of key political milestones. İmamoğlu, viewed as a potential rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, remains a prominent figure in Turkish politics, with growing support among opposition circles.