ISTANBUL, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, jailed since March, faces up to 2,352 years in prison on 142 criminal charges, including leading a criminal organization, bribery, money laundering, and fraud, authorities announced on Tuesday.
The indictment, prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and announced by Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akin Gurlek at a press conference, accuses Imamoglu of 142 criminal acts. According to the indictment, "the total public loss is estimated at 160 billion Turkish liras (3.8 billion U.S. dollars) and 24 million U.S. dollars."
The prosecution seeks a prison sentence ranging from 828 to 2,352 years.
Imamoglu, who was re-elected for a second term as mayor of Istanbul in the 2024 local elections, defeated Murat Kurum, a candidate from the ruling Justice and Development Party. The victory further solidified his position as one of the most prominent figures in Türkiye's opposition politics.
In March, the Republican People's Party, the main opposition party, officially nominated Imamoglu as its presidential candidate, positioning him as the primary rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming 2028 presidential elections.
The indictment and ongoing legal proceedings have added a layer of political tension ahead of the presidential elections, with Imamoglu denouncing the charges as politically motivated and denying all the accusations. ■