July 2, 2026, 4:23 p.mJuly 2, 2026, 4:23 p.m
The deposed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has been expelled from the courtroom during an ongoing court hearing against him.
Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested a year ago.Image: keystone
As local media reported from the Silivri courthouse, there had previously been a dispute over the sequence of defense arguments planned by the judge.
Imamoglu is accused in several trials. In the case at issue, the public prosecutor’s office accuses him, among other things, of founding a criminal organization as well as bribery and money laundering.
As the state news agency Anadolu reported, Imamoglu protested in court against a judge’s decision that he should begin his defense plea on July 6. This would mean that he would be in court in three trials at the same time on that day – because the accusation of political espionage and the revocation of his university diploma were also being negotiated at the same time.
As a result, Imamoglu’s lawyers and opposition MPs observing the trial engaged in a verbal altercation with the judge. He had Imamoglu expelled from the room and explained that he would not be allowed to take part in the meeting again until he gave his defense speech. Some of the lawyers then left the room and announced that they would boycott the meeting for the rest of the day.
Mammoth trial against Imamoglu
Human rights organizations assess the trial against Imamoglu as politically motivated. The background to the proceedings is that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had described Imamoglu’s CHP party as a criminal gang that had spread like an octopus across the city of Istanbul.
The accused politician himself calls the case “one of the toughest tests for Turkish democracy.” Imamoglu was long considered a promising opponent for the upcoming presidential election in Turkey. He has been in custody since March 2025. (hkl/sda/dpa)