On Monday, October 27, 2025, Turkish prosecutors escalated their pursuit of Istanbul’s jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, by filing new charges of political espionage—a move that has intensified the already turbulent political climate in Turkey. Imamoglu, a prominent figure in the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and widely regarded as a potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the 2028 presidential election, now faces an even more daunting legal battle as the government presses forward with its investigation.
The new charges stem from an ongoing inquiry into alleged links between Imamoglu’s political campaign and a businessman, Hüseyin Gün, who was arrested in July 2025 for purportedly carrying out intelligence operations on behalf of foreign governments. Alongside Imamoglu, his former campaign manager Necati Özkan and journalist Merdan Yanardag have also been charged and detained. According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, prosecutors suspect Imamoglu of transferring personal data of Istanbul residents in an attempt to secure international funding for his campaign—a claim he has roundly rejected.
Imamoglu’s arrest in March 2025 on separate corruption charges had already sparked nationwide protests, with critics accusing the government of orchestrating a crackdown on the opposition after the CHP made significant gains in the previous year’s local elections. The latest charges, however, have further inflamed tensions, drawing thousands of CHP supporters to Istanbul’s main courthouse on Sunday, October 26, as Imamoglu was brought from Marmara Prison in Silivri to testify in the new espionage probe. It was his first appearance outside prison in seven months, and the mood among his supporters was defiant.
Imamoglu’s questioning began after a five-hour delay and lasted around three hours, according to Turkish media reports. In a statement widely circulated in the press, Imamoglu denied all allegations, calling them "absurd" and politically motivated. "I have absolutely no knowledge of or connection with intelligence agencies or their employees," he insisted. In a social media post, he added, "Even the claim that I burned down Rome would have been more credible than this nonsense. Our struggle against this mindset that has sworn to ruin our nation’s future has now grown even stronger."
The investigation has cast a wide net. Necati Özkan, described by prosecutors as a key leader in an alleged Imamoglu-led criminal network, is accused of accessing social media and internal correspondence of many voters, especially corporate accounts belonging to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB). Authorities allege that Özkan, acting on Imamoglu’s instructions, transferred data from numerous municipalities to an online platform called Ostin and, through Gün, conducted analysis and reporting operations to gain an advantage with the support of foreign intelligence agencies.
The case against Hüseyin Gün is particularly detailed and severe. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office claims that Gün used encrypted phones to maintain secrecy, financed unrest in various countries, and possessed sensitive material, including photographs of military-grade ammunition and passport photos of Israeli citizens allegedly engaged in military and political work. A report by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) revealed that Gün maintained contacts with suspects linked to the Gülenist Terrorist Group (FETÖ), the PKK, and consular officials from various countries. Despite not owning any businesses, Gün reportedly carried out large-scale domestic and international money transfers, including withdrawing 85 million Turkish Lira (about $2 million) in cash without documentation. Documents seized from Gün allegedly contained notes on coup attempts and civil unrest in other nations, as well as logs of meetings with individuals and institutions in Turkey and details of information shared with foreign agents.
Investigators allege that Gün transferred intelligence on Turkey, the Middle East, and Africa to operatives working for a foreign state while posing as a businessperson. Encrypted communications via the "Wickr" platform, described as similar to the ByLock network used by FETÖ members, reportedly revealed Gün’s contact with a foreign intelligence officer and included a photograph secretly taken of two former Turkish ministers. Correspondence between Gün and Özkan allegedly referred to "digital intelligence gathering," "matters to be considered in the work carried out for Imamoglu," and the "urgent need to activate 70,000 volunteers." Another note warned that Imamoglu’s communications director, Murat Ongun, had been infected with spyware, advising him not to bring the device to "sensitive private campaign meetings with Mr. Ekrem."
Prosecutors assert that Gün acted as a senior coordinator above Özkan within the organization, whose main objective was to obtain illicit financial gains and fund Imamoglu’s political ambitions, including a potential presidential campaign. During the 2019 local elections, Gün and Özkan allegedly analyzed voter districts, created voter profiles, and leaked confidential electoral data to foreign intelligence services—actions prosecutors classify as espionage. Imamoglu himself is accused of meeting directly with Gün regarding these operations.
The investigation has also ensnared journalist Merdan Yanardag, the editor-in-chief of the opposition Tele1 channel. Yanardag was detained on October 24, 2025, after searches at his home and office, and his station was placed under the control of a government-appointed trustee. Prosecutors claim Yanardag "organized the press leg of the election process in exchange for benefits provided by Gün" and worked with foreign intelligence elements to influence the 2019 municipal vote. CHP leader Özgül Özel, addressing the crowd outside the courthouse, accused the government of weaponizing the judiciary: "They called him a thief, it didn’t work; they called him corrupt, it didn’t work; they accused him of supporting terrorism, it didn’t work. Now, as a last resort, they tried to call him a spy. Shame on them!"
The scope of the probe has widened to include a parallel investigation into the leaking of personal and location data from the "Istanbul Senin" mobile app. On Friday, October 24, authorities detained 15 more suspects on charges of leaking data of 4.7 million users to two foreign countries. The app’s "IBB Hanem" sub-program reportedly processed ballot-box data from 11 million citizens and leaked them externally. Warrants were issued for software managers and executives connected to companies affiliated with the IBB, and all suspects were apprehended, officials said.
Government officials continue to insist that Turkey’s judiciary is independent and that the investigations are strictly focused on corruption and national security. However, critics and opposition figures see the successive charges against Imamoglu and other CHP officials as part of a broader effort to sideline political opponents ahead of the next national vote. Among the crowd outside the courthouse, supporters described the espionage probe as a politically motivated attempt to intimidate and wear down the opposition. "They opened this spying investigation because they couldn’t find anything else," said Ali Saçlı, a 50-year-old CHP supporter. "They are doing this to intimidate us and wear us down."
With the investigation ongoing and the political stakes higher than ever, Turkey’s opposition and its supporters remain on edge, watching closely as the country’s most prominent opposition figure faces mounting legal challenges that could shape the nation’s political future.
