The Independent, 27 October 2025
Prosecutors have filed new espionage charges against Istanbul’s jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, intensifying pressure on the opposition leader seen as a top rival to President Erdogan
Prosecutors filed new espionage charges against Istanbul’s jailed mayor on Monday, intensifying the judicial pressure on the opposition politician seen as a top rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The new charges against Ekrem Imamoglu stem from an investigation launched last week into alleged links between his political campaign and a businessman arrested in July for reportedly carrying out intelligence activities on behalf of foreign governments.
Imamoglu’s former campaign manager, Necati Ozkan, and journalist Merdan Yanardag were also charged.
The state-run Anadolu Agency said Imamoglu — who his already in pretrial detention on corruption charges — is suspected, among other things, of transferring personal data of Istanbul residents as part of an effort to secure international funding for his campaign.
Imamoglu rejected the accusations as “nonsense” in a statement posted on social media.