On September 12, 2025, the political spotlight in Turkey shifted to the Marmara Prison Complex in Silivri, on the outskirts of Istanbul, where Ekrem İmamoğlu—the suspended and once-celebrated mayor of Istanbul—stood trial in a packed, high-security courtroom. The charges against him? Alleged forgery of official documents tied to his university diploma, a case that has gripped the nation and stirred fierce debate about the future of Turkish democracy.
The drama began months earlier, on March 19, when Istanbul University revoked İmamoğlu’s undergraduate diploma. The university cited that his 1990 transfer from a private institution in Northern Cyprus had not been officially recognized by Turkish authorities at the time, making his degree invalid under Turkish law. The timing was anything but coincidental: the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) had just begun gearing up to nominate İmamoğlu as their candidate for the 2028 presidential elections. Turkish law requires presidential candidates to hold at least a bachelor’s degree, so the annulment threatened to derail his candidacy before it even got started.
But the controversy didn’t end there. The day after his diploma was annulled, İmamoğlu was detained on corruption allegations and alleged ties to terrorists—a move that, according to the Associated Press, triggered the largest street protests Turkey had seen in over a decade. Nearly 70 people, including İmamoğlu’s secretary and a member of his personal security detail, were also detained in connection with alleged corruption at Istanbul City Hall. The city, already known for its political passion, erupted in support of its embattled mayor as students faced down police and opposition supporters took to the streets in droves.
According to AP, the prosecution is seeking a prison sentence of between 2.5 and 8.75 years, as well as a ban on İmamoğlu’s political activities, for alleged falsification of official documents. The indictment, prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, argues that since İmamoğlu began his public service career with the now-annulled diploma, the alleged offense qualifies as a “repeated act.”
The first hearing, held at 11:00 am local time, was a spectacle in itself. Security was tight, with barriers set up and attendees escorted through controlled access points. İmamoğlu’s family—including his wife Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu, son Selim, father Hasan, and sister Neslihan Yakupçebioğlu—were present, along with a roster of high-profile opposition politicians. CHP leader Özgür Özel entered the courtroom chanting the party’s rallying cry, “Rights, law, justice.” Other notable attendees included CHP parliamentary group deputy chair Gökhan Günaydın, deputy chair Bülent Tezcan, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality deputy mayor Nuri Aslan, and Istanbul Bar Association President İbrahim Kaboğlu.
İmamoğlu himself was greeted with applause and ovations as he entered the courtroom. During the identity verification, he stated, “Master’s degree.” When asked about the charges, he was defiant: “These accusations have nothing to do with me.” He didn’t miss the symbolism of the date either, pointing out that September 12 is etched in Turkish memory as the anniversary of the 1980 military coup. “The indictment was written by someone who knows I will defeat him in the next election. The very existence of this case is disgraceful. Today is Sep 12. This date evokes memories of military coups in the Turkish public’s collective memory. Be it military, civilian, political, or backed by the government or religious groups nurtured by the government, any kind of coup should be condemned. I strongly denounce all those who have staged, applauded, supported, or served as instruments for coups.”
He continued, “I hope our country will no longer face such interventions. But unfortunately, I must stress that we are currently going through a coup-like process. They are bankrupting hope in this country—but I won’t let them. I’m so free in my 12-square-meter cell that it would make those in their palaces burst with envy.”
His legal team—Fikret İlkiz, Hasan Fehmi Demir, Mehmet Pehlivan, Tora Pekin, and Nusret Yılmaz—was present in full. In a rare move, the court allowed İmamoğlu’s detained lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan, currently held at Çorlu Prison, to join the proceedings via the judicial video system (SEGBİS). The judge confirmed that Pehlivan would be permitted to attend future hearings by video if notified one day in advance.
The hearing itself was not without controversy. Originally scheduled for September 11 at Istanbul’s Çağlayan Courthouse, it was abruptly moved to Silivri Prison Complex and rescheduled for the following day, with no official explanation given. The change, reported by Bianet and AP, sparked fresh allegations of political interference. The judge later stated, “We chose this courtroom in Silivri because the facilities in Çağlayan were physically inadequate. We also considered the high level of public interest in the trial.”
For İmamoğlu and his supporters, the stakes could not be higher. As AP and Bianet both note, he is not only the main political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—who has ruled Turkey for 22 years—but also the chosen presidential candidate for the CHP in 2028. Alongside the diploma case, İmamoğlu faces at least seven other criminal prosecutions, any one of which could see him banned from politics. The CHP has consistently argued that these allegations are part of a government offensive meant to sideline opposition figures and ensure Erdoğan’s continued rule. The government, for its part, denies these claims and insists that the Turkish judiciary acts independently.
In the days leading up to the hearing, the Metropolitan Municipality legal commission and İmamoğlu’s defense team called on members of the legal community to attend, describing the event as a “historic moment.” The hearing was adjourned until October 20, 2025, leaving both supporters and critics waiting anxiously for the next chapter in this high-stakes political saga.
Meanwhile, the political reverberations continue to be felt across the country. A separate court case, due on September 15, is set to rule on whether to annul the CHP’s 2023 Congress—a decision that could upend party leadership and further destabilize the opposition. İmamoğlu’s own rise to prominence was marked by a historic victory in the 2019 mayoral election in Istanbul, a win that was initially annulled by authorities but then reaffirmed with an even larger margin in a repeat vote. He retained his seat in the 2024 local elections, during which the CHP made significant gains against Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party.
As the courtroom drama unfolds, the case of Ekrem İmamoğlu has become a litmus test for Turkey’s democracy, its rule of law, and the future of its opposition. Whether this is a legitimate legal reckoning or a calculated political maneuver remains hotly debated, but one thing is clear: the outcome will shape Turkish politics for years to come.
