Ankara, December 12 (EFE). – An Istanbul court this Friday postponed the trial against the city’s sacked mayor, Social Democrat Ekrem Imamoglu, until March 2026. He is accused of “attempting to influence an expert,” one of several allegations against him for which he has been imprisoned since mid-March.
Imamoglu of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) is the main political rival of Turkish President, Islamist Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ahead of presidential elections scheduled for 2028.
This Friday’s trial is based on statements made by the mayor before his arrest about an expert whose identity he revealed during a press conference.
Since the new judge assigned to the case will take office on December 22, a judge from another court presided over the session and set the next hearing for March 30, 2026.
In his defense, Imamoglu protested against the frequent replacement of judges in his trials and criticized the fact that the same expert was used in all his trials.
“They are not judging me now, they are judging the courage to speak the truth in this country. The day I remain silent, this country will lose its voice.
Imamoglu faces numerous cases, the most relevant being that of alleged corruption and bribery in the city of Istanbul, for which Turkish prosecutors are demanding up to 2,352 years in prison.
The date for the first oral hearing in this procedure has not yet been set.
In another case involving alleged forgery of a university diploma, the court decided last Monday to schedule a fourth hearing for February 16, 2026. EFE
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