There were three separate trials in Silivri for the imprisoned Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) and the presidential candidate of the CHP, Ekrem İmamoğlu. In addition to the main IBB case, İmamoğlu provided defence statements regarding the "diploma case" and the "espionage case." While CHP leader Özgür Özel followed all three hearings in person, the European Parliament Rapporteur for Türkiye, Nacho Sánchez Amor, also arrived in Silivri.
First, the fifth hearing was held in the case where Ekrem İmamoğlu is being tried with a request for imprisonment of up to 8 years and 9 months for "forgery of official documents in a chain manner" on the grounds that his university diploma is fake. Announcing its interim decision, the court ruled to await the finalisation of the decision of the 5th Administrative Court, which is currently at the Council of State stage. The hearing was subsequently adjourned until 11:00 on 25 December. In his defence, İmamoğlu recalled that the diplomas of 28 other people along with his own had been cancelled, drawing attention to the fact that a criminal case was opened only against him. Pointing to the NATO Ankara Summit, İmamoğlu said, "What will the head of this country tell them there? Will he say, 'Look, I put my rival in jail. I opened 20 cases against him'?" Stating that the positions of the 18 judges who looked at his cases were changed, İmamoğlu used the following expressions: "All of the prosecutors who prepared the indictment against me were rewarded. The only thing that does not change is the desire to punish Ekrem İmamoğlu." Ekrem İmamoğlu left the courtroom saying, "I am proud to walk in the path of my chairman, Özgür Özel."
EVERYONE CAN BE A SPY!
In the Espionage Case, besides Ekrem İmamoğlu, journalist Merdan Yanardağ, and İmamoğlu’s advisors Necati Özkan and Hüseyin Gün were tried as detainees. Gün, in the statement he gave while in custody, stated that he "wanted to benefit from effective repentance" and became a "confessor." In his defence, the imprisoned journalist Yanardağ stated that voting for a party was characterised as a "crime" in the indictment, and expressed that according to this indictment, all political parties should be tried. Yanardağ said, "If a conviction comes out of this case, everyone in Türkiye can be tried for espionage. According to this understanding, firms doing social media research, political parties, and opposing the current government mean committing a crime." Stating that it was not mentioned in the indictment for which state they worked or which secret document they obtained, Yanardağ used the expressions, "This indictment says that a foreign state or intelligence organisation is not needed for espionage. Can such a thing be possible?"
Following the end of the fifth hearing of the Ekrem İmamoğlu diploma case, he came to the courtroom where the espionage case was being held. İmamoğlu said, "This government, which says 'We cannot find an opposition up to our teeth,' is also throwing its strong rivals inside. Selahattin Demirtaş, whom I mentioned just now, is one of them."
The 62nd session of the IBB case was held. Due to İmamoğlu's other two cases, his defence for this case could not be prepared. İmamoğlu Construction General Manager Tuncay Yılmaz gave his defence. Stating that he had no involvement in the purchase of the CHP Istanbul Provincial Presidency building, Yılmaz expressed that he had been imprisoned for 16 months because he was the general manager of Ekrem İmamoğlu's companies. Yılmaz finished his defence by requesting his release and acquittal. The prohibition on participation in the hearing applied to Ekrem İmamoğlu and his lawyers in the IBB Case was lifted. The power of attorney of the lawyer appointed to Tuncay Yılmaz by the No. 2 Bar Association was also cancelled.
THE REGIME CHALLENGES JUSTICE
CHP's elected Chairman Özgür Özel addressed the citizens in Silivri, where he came to follow the hearings of IBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Reacting to the government, Özel used the expressions, "The regime is challenging fairness, the expectation of justice, and conscience. We are also challenging this unjust regime." Giving a message regarding the presidential candidate, Özel said, "It does not matter who will be the president, but in the end, it will be either one of you or someone completely different, but someone from us, whom I, Mayor Ekrem, Mayor Mansur, and you support, who will be the president."
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled 1 günde 3 dava: Güçlü rakipler içeri atılıyor, published in printed BirGün newspaper on July 7, 2026.
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