New Espionage Charges Filed Against Istanbul’s Jailed Mayor

BREAKING: New espionage charges have just been filed against Istanbul’s jailed mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, intensifying the legal pressures on a prominent opposition figure who poses a significant challenge to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The charges were announced on Monday, July 15, 2025, amid an ongoing investigation into Imamoglu’s alleged connections to a businessman arrested in July for purportedly conducting intelligence operations for foreign governments.

The Istanbul prosecutor’s office is now scrutinizing Imamoglu for allegedly transferring personal data of Istanbul residents to secure international funding for his political campaign. This comes as Imamoglu, already in pretrial detention on corruption allegations, faces mounting scrutiny. His former campaign manager, Necati Ozkan, along with journalist Merdan Yanardag, has also been charged as part of this investigation.

In a defiant response, Imamoglu described the accusations as “nonsense,” stating, “Even the claim that I burned down Rome would have been more credible than this nonsense.” He emphasized that his struggle against what he perceives as an oppressive regime has only intensified.

Hundreds of Imamoglu’s supporters gathered outside Istanbul’s main courthouse on Sunday, demonstrating their backing as he faced prosecutors for the first time in seven months since his incarceration at Marmara Prison. Critics argue that Imamoglu’s arrest, along with the detentions of other mayors from the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), signals a broader crackdown on dissent in Turkey, particularly following significant electoral gains for the opposition in the previous year.

While Erdogan’s government maintains that Turkey’s judiciary operates independently and that these investigations focus solely on corruption, the political climate remains tense. As the situation develops, observers will be watching closely for potential impacts on the upcoming political landscape and the opposition’s ability to mobilize.

What happens next for Imamoglu and his supporters remains uncertain, but the urgency of these new charges is clear. Stay tuned for updates as this story unfolds.