Okan Evrim

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A year has passed since the operations of 19 March, which the CHP described as a "coup attempt" targeting numerous elected officials, most notably presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu. While "confessors" in these cases have become "VIP defendants" standing trial without detention, those who conducted the investigations and drafted the indictments have been "rewarded" with ministerial appointments. Amidst numerous rights violations, elected officials were transferred to courthouses in single file, handcuffed and escorted by gendarmerie and police.

However, over the past year, the determined resistance of the public has prevented the government from achieving many of its objectives. A trustee was not appointed to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), no "absolute nullity" decision was issued, the vast majority of the public believes the cases are political, the opposition has not been neutralised, and the resistance continues. Mass protests, ignited by the spark of university students breaking through police barricades on 19 March, spread across Turkey and continued throughout the year in both Istanbul and various provinces. As the İBB trial enters its second week in Silivri, the demonstrations have returned to Saraçhane, where they first began. We have compiled the highlights of the past year...

2025

19 March: In the first wave of detentions, more than 100 municipal employees, bureaucrats, and politicians, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, Resul Emrah Şahan, and Murat Çalık, were detained in dawn raids. Mass protests began after Istanbul University students broke through a police barricade, spreading across Turkey.

23 March: On the day İmamoğlu was selected as the party's presidential candidate with 15.5 million votes in a primary organised by the CHP, he was arrested on allegations of "corruption" and "organised crime". The court also ordered the arrest of more than 40 others, including Şahan and Çalık. The Ministry of the Interior removed İmamoğlu and the two other mayors from office; a trustee was appointed to Şişli.

26 April: A second wave of detentions began as part of the İBB investigation, targeting 52 İBB officials and individuals alleged to be linked to them. Subsequently, 18 of them were arrested.

8 May: İmamoğlu’s account on the social media platform X, which has 9.7 million followers, was blocked from access in Turkey.

20-23 May: The third and fourth waves of detentions were carried out as part of the İBB investigation. In the third wave, 22 people were detained, 7 of whom were arrested. In the fourth wave, 49 people were detained, 25 of whom were arrested.

24 May: Despite having no authority, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office banned content featuring İmamoğlu’s photograph, video, and voice within the İBB public transport system and on billboards.

31 May: The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued detention warrants for the mayors of Büyükçekmece, Avcılar, and Gaziosmanpaşa; it also ordered the detention of the CHP mayors of the Ceyhan and Seyhan districts of Adana to be brought to Istanbul.

4 June: Of the 38 people detained, 17, including 5 mayors, were arrested in Istanbul. On the same day, following "effective repentance" statements, a house arrest decision was made for imprisoned businessman Aziz İhsan Aktaş.

5 June: The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation against Özgür Özel for a speech in which he criticised the images of those detained in the fifth wave being transferred in single file, escorted by numerous police and gendarmerie officers.

19 June: İmamoğlu’s lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, was arrested at the request of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

5 July: As part of a "financial crimes" investigation conducted by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Antalya Metropolitan Mayor Muhittin Böcek was detained and arrested.

8 July: Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar was arrested as part of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, who was detained in the same investigation, was released under judicial control.

10 July: A detention warrant was issued for Şile Mayor Özgür Kabadayı. Kabadayı and four municipal officials were arrested on 14 July.

14 August: The CHP claimed that prosecutors were pressuring detainees to give false testimony against İmamoğlu and other municipal officials in exchange for their release. A petition requesting an investigation into the prosecutors was submitted to the HSK (Council of Judges and Prosecutors).

15 August: Detention warrants were issued for 44 people, including Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney. Güney and 16 others were arrested on 19 August.

22 August: The judicial control measure in the form of "house arrest" for Aziz İhsan Aktaş was lifted.

28 August: The Istanbul and Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Offices launched an investigation against Özgür Özel following his words directed at Akın Gürlek: "If you have honour and say you treat everyone equally, go to the AK Party municipalities where Aziz İhsan Aktaş worked."

2 September: The first of the "corruption" cases opened against CHP Istanbul district mayors began with the trial of 26 people, including Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler. Köseler was released on 6 September but was re-arrested following the prosecutor's objection.

12 September: A second arrest warrant was issued for Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, who had been arrested on 23 March due to the "urban consensus," this time on charges of "organised crime" and "corruption."

20 October: Through the "Aziz İhsan Aktaş" indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office—which was reflected in pro-government media before its acceptance—a lawsuit was filed against 200 people, including 7 mayors. In the indictment, which used the phrase "Ekrem İmamoğlu criminal organisation," a prison sentence of up to 450 years was sought for Aktaş and 337 years for Rıza Akpolat on the grounds of being "organisation leaders."

24 October: An "espionage" investigation was launched against İmamoğlu, and he was summoned to the prosecutor's office to give a statement. On 27 October, the court ordered the arrest of İmamoğlu, Necati Özkan, and journalist Merdan Yanardağ.

11 November: Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek held a press conference to announce the approximately 4,000-page İBB indictment. In the first paragraph of the indictment, the "İmamoğlu criminal organisation" was compared to an "octopus," a metaphor frequently used by Erdoğan.

On the same day, a release order was issued for Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, who had been arrested for a second time in January on allegations of "bid-rigging." Özer had also been released from the "urban consensus" case in July. Thus, he was released from prison.

25 November: Akın Gürlek, in his capacity as Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor, gave an interview to the pro-government newspaper Yeni Şafak, explicitly labelling İmamoğlu a "criminal organisation leader" and repeating the "octopus" metaphor. On the same day, the Istanbul 40th High Criminal Court accepted the indictment.

2026

23 January: Ahmet Özer was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison on charges of "membership in a terrorist organisation" in the "urban consensus" case. The decision was taken to the court of appeal.

27 January: The "Aziz İhsan Aktaş" trial, which lasted approximately one month, began. Aktaş, a "VIP defendant" standing trial without detention, arrived at the hearing with his bodyguards through the entrance used by judges and prosecutors, while the mayors were brought in handcuffs. In the trial, Zeydan Karalar was released on 6 February.

4 February: The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office prepared an indictment against İmamoğlu, Necati Özkan, Merdan Yanardağ, and Hüseyin Gün on charges of espionage.

10 February: Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek was appointed Minister of Justice by presidential decree. With this appointment, Gürlek also became the natural president of the HSK, the primary institution managing the judiciary and prosecution system in Turkey.

18 February: An "official vehicle" indictment was prepared against İmamoğlu.

20 February: Istanbul Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor Can Tuncay, responsible for terrorism and organised crime, was appointed Deputy Minister of Justice. Tuncay was among the prosecutors who wrote the "İBB" and "espionage" indictments.

28 February: Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan was detained on charges of "extortion." He was arrested on 2 March.

9 March: The İBB trial, in which 407 people, including 107 in detention—İmamoğlu among them—are being tried, began.

13 March: Kuşadası Mayor Ömer Günel was detained on charges of "bribery" and "extortion" and was arrested on 16 March.