Politics
Istanbul’s former mayor set for key hearing on corruption
Almost one year after his arrest, Istanbul’s former mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, will make his first appearance at the hearing of a sprawling corruption case. The popular figure of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) will join more than 400 defendants in the trial in Istanbul on Monday.
Dubbed “corruption of the century” by some Turkish media outlets, Imamoğlu and his associates at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) are accused of involvement in 143 acts of bribery and corruption. Their actions cost the public TL 161 billion ($3.65 billion), according to the prosecutors.
The businessman-turned-mayor faces prison terms up to 2,352 years for multiple instances of the corruption that mainly revolves around bribery accusations from businesspeople in exchange of operating, construction permits and accusations of widespread rigging in lucrative tenders of the municipality.
The trial, which is expected to take about two months before the court reaches a verdict or decides on postponing it to another date, will take place inside a courtroom in the Marmara courthouse-prison complex where Imamoğlu and others are being held since March 2025.
In their indictment of 3,806 pages, prosecutors named Imamoğlu as the leader of a criminal ring thriving on corruption. The court will question the mayor, the municipal bureaucrats and people doing business with the municipality on accusations of taking luxury residences as bribes and stacks of cash stored in a currency exchange office, which were reportedly illicit gains of the “Imamoğlu gang” and alleged secret transfer of bribe money from lucrative excavation businesses to abroad. Imamoğlu is among the 105 defendants who are in pre-trial custody while seven defendants remain at large. Other defendants were earlier released pending trial.
Along with corruption accusations, Imamoğlu faces charges of illegally obtaining personal data, money laundering and deliberate pollution of environment, related to other crimes he is accused of, such as alleged sale of personal information of Istanbul’s residents through a municipality app.
The indictment says Imamoğlu’s criminal organization was similar to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which is notorious for its infiltration into public institutions. Prosecutors say a network similar to FETÖ’s cells was established by Imamoğlu and others at the Istanbul municipality and district municipalities (also run by the CHP) of Türkiye’s most populated city. The suspects used counter-intelligence tactics to avoid detection, the prosecutors say.
The mayor both sought personal enrichment and buying his way toward the full control of the CHP, the indictment says. Imamoğlu was picked as a future presidential candidate of the CHP after his arrest. Prior to an intra-party election in the CHP in 2023, Imamoğlu was caught red-handed as he lobbied for the ouster of the party’s chair, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. He is named in another trial on alleged vote-buying in the intra-party election where he and others are accused of offering cash to delegates in exchange for votes for the Kılıçdaroğlu rival Özgür Özel. The “personal enrichment” cited by prosecutors includes three villas in Istanbul’s upscale Emirgan neighborhood worth TL 1.5 billion, which were not included in declaration of assets by mayoral candidates at the elections. The indictment also includes witness statements on a private jet, which made multiple flights abroad to carry cash accumulated by Imamoğlu’s criminal ring to London. The flights between 2022 and 2025 were arranged by Murat Gülibrahimoğlu, a fugitive defendant in the case.
The indictment reveals that Taç Döviz, a firm named in a separate money laundering investigation, acted as a “custodian” for the criminal proceeds of the ring led by Imamoğlu.
Although the mayor is facing a slew of legal cases, Monday’s trial is by far the biggest. In a separate case, Imamoğlu is facing an even more significant legal obstacle: a lawsuit challenging the validity of his university degree, a constitutional requirement for presidential candidates.
Imamoğlu maintained his innocence in remarks made to public before the trial began, though he did not offer an elaborate defense, apparently saving it for the trial. His party also claims that the trial is politically motivated, pointing to the arrests of other CHP mayors before and after Imamoğlu’s arrest. In all cases, mayors were arrested on charges of corruption and some cases were directly linked to Imamoğlu himself. The main opposition staged rallies every evening in a different city after Imamoğlu’s arrest, to protest it and other cases.
Some suspects who collaborated with authorities as part of a plea deal claimed Imamoğlu sought to fund his campaign for the presidency through bribes.
System of corruption
Ertan Yıldız, the former head of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s department overseeing the subsidiaries, was among those collaborating with authorities. Speaking to the Yeni Şafak newspaper in an interview published on Sunday, Yıldız detailed the “system” of corruption. “Imamoğlu always wanted to be president. It is not an evil goal but it matters how you try to achieve it. If Imamoğlu did not get himself into (this corruption), he would be a strong presidential contender. He did not have to do this, he did not have to be greedy,” he said.
Yıldız said Imamoğlu and his associates earned “resources” through lucrative tenders, especially on road maintenance and excavation. He said Gülibrahimoğlu was behind the usage of the vast Cebeci mining field for dumping construction leftovers. “This place was supposed to be run by a municipal subsidiary but was leased to another company and was unregulated. They launched tenders but the dumping was uncontrolled. They had a partnership of corruption, between Gülibrahimoğlu, Fatih Keleş and Ibrahim Bülbüllü,” he said, referring to other municipal figures.
“Overall, they had a lucrative system bringing in $150 million to 200 million yearly. They used to earn cash from minor tenders in the past but over time, they reaped more elsewhere,” he said, pointing out to reconstruction or construction permits at scenic Bosporus route of Istanbul. “They took bribes of $1 million for permits. All were delivered in bags,” he said.
He said Gülibrahimoğlu earned $10 million-20 million from the Cebeci mining field and when he objected to his schemes to funnel cash to his company, he complained. “But Imamoğlu supported him,” he claimed.
Digging deeper into an alleged criminal network run by Imamoğlu and expanding another investigation linked to a businessperson whom the district municipalities had awarded lucrative contracts, investigators launched further operations, rounding up municipal bureaucrats and other mayors throughout 2025.
Türkiye seeks to expand cooperation with Japan in defense, technology, trade and reconstruction projects in third countries as regional instability and shifting global dynamics push the two nations toward closer strategic coordination, a senior Turkish lawmaker said Tuesday.
Fuat Oktay, chairperson of the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and a lawmaker from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), spoke during an official visit to Japan by a parliamentary delegation including AK Party, Republican People’s Party (CHP), and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) members.
The delegation traveled to Japan at the invitation of Konosuke Kokuba, chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Japan’s House of Representatives.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Oktay said the visit aimed to strengthen relations between Türkiye and Japan, not only at the governmental level but also through parliamentary diplomacy as both countries confront increasingly complex regional and global developments.
“Recent developments are progressing extremely rapidly both in our own region, in the region where Japan is located, and globally,” Oktay said.
The Turkish delegation includes AK Party lawmakers Oğuz Üçüncü and Ziya Altunyaldız, CHP lawmaker Talih Özcan and MHP lawmaker Kamil Aydın.
Historical roots
Oktay noted the two countries’ longstanding friendship should be reflected more strongly in investment, trade, defense cooperation, technology, tourism and joint projects in third countries.
He pointed to the 19th-century sinking of the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul off the coast of Japan as a symbol of the historic ties between the two nations.
“This friendship has continued to develop until today,” Oktay said, noting recent visits by members of the Japanese Imperial Family to Türkiye as further signs of close relations.
Economic ties
Türkiye is also seeking to increase Japanese investment and rebalance bilateral trade, which Oktay said currently stands at between $6.5 billion and $7 billion annually.
“We believe the level of $10 billion and $15 billion should now be surpassed,” he said.
Oktay said Japanese investment in Türkiye remains relatively limited despite decades of economic cooperation. According to Oktay, Japan has invested approximately $3.1 billion in Türkiye over the past 20 years, accounting for roughly 1.5% of Türkiye’s total foreign investment inflows.
He cited Toyota as one of the strongest examples of successful Japanese investment in Türkiye, describing the automaker’s Turkish factory as one of the company’s most efficient production facilities worldwide.
Türkiye currently hosts 278 Japanese companies, Oktay said, adding that Ankara wants the number to grow significantly.
The Turkish official said parliamentary diplomacy could help remove legal and bureaucratic obstacles facing businesses and accelerate approval processes for bilateral agreements.
Beyond bilateral economic ties, Oktay emphasized the potential for cooperation in reconstruction and infrastructure projects in countries such as Syria and Ukraine.
“We see that stability is beginning to emerge in Syria and that the reconstruction process is coming onto the agenda,” he remarked.
Oktay said Türkiye’s strength in construction and contracting services could complement Japan’s financial capabilities in rebuilding efforts abroad, adding that discussions were also underway regarding potential joint projects in Africa.
One of the most significant new areas of cooperation between the two countries, Oktay said, is defense industry collaboration.
Japan’s defense policies remained relatively constrained for decades after World War II, but Turkish officials now see growing Japanese interest in defense partnerships as regional security concerns intensify.
“Türkiye’s recent achievements in the defense industry are drawing attention from all over the world,” Oktay said, referencing growing military contacts between the two countries, including recent visits by Japanese defense officials and military representatives.
He said Türkiye hopes the increased dialogue will quickly evolve into concrete joint projects.
Oktay also highlighted motor technologies and advanced manufacturing as strategic sectors for future cooperation.
“Japan has very strong expertise in this field,” he noted, referring to engine technologies. “Its design and manufacturing capabilities, especially stemming from the automotive industry, can contribute to many sectors, including aviation.”
Turkish and Japanese defense and technology companies are examining possible cooperation in aviation, automotive production, advanced manufacturing and engine systems, he added.
Tourism was another major topic discussed during the visit.
According to Oktay, around 160,000 Japanese tourists visited Türkiye in 2025, with destinations such as Cappadocia, Şanlıurfa and Göbeklitepe attracting strong interest due to their historical and cultural significance.
Türkiye hopes to increase the number of Japanese visitors to between 300,000 and 400,000 in the coming years, Oktay said.
“Tourism is not only about revenue,” he said. “It is also a very important tool for strengthening cultural ties between the two peoples.”
The visit also includes discussions on regional security issues, including Iran, Iraq and broader geopolitical tensions across Asia and the Middle East.
Oktay said Turkish and Japanese officials would exchange views on reducing tensions, strengthening regional stability and supporting peace efforts amid ongoing global conflicts.
Fifty nations are gathered in Seferihisar as Türkiye’s largest combined joint live-fire exercise enters its final days, with autonomous drone swarms, carrier-launched unmanned combat vehicles and a homegrown layered air defense system taking center stage on Tuesday.
EFES 2026, which has been running since April 20 in the Doğanbey region of Izmir’s Seferihisar district, is set to conclude on May 21 following the Distinguished Observer Day on May 20, where defense ministers and military chiefs from all 50 participating countries will observe the final live-fire maneuvers.
With 10,388 personnel in the field, including 1,305 from allied and partner nations, the exercise has drawn one of the most geographically diverse participant rosters in its history. NATO allies, including the United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, are training alongside Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Malaysia, while Japan, Sweden, Somalia and Rwanda are also among the 50 countries taking part. Highlights in terms of participation were Syria and Libya. For the first time since the fall of the decadeslong Baathist regime, the Syrian army joined the exercise. The exercise also brought together rival military forces in Libya’s west and east for the first time.
Baykar’s Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) conducted sorties directly from TCG Anadolu, Türkiye’s light aircraft carrier, in what officials described as a milestone for the country’s naval aviation program. The heavy-payload Bayraktar Akıncı drone provided intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) support throughout the joint operations.
The exercises also featured a live demonstration of Türkiye’s Steel Dome, known in Turkish as “Çelik Kubbe,” and integrated air and missile defense architecture.
Developed entirely by Aselsan, the system brings together the long-range Siper platform alongside Hisar-A, Hisar-O and Sungur in a layered configuration designed to intercept threats ranging from cruise missiles to commercial-grade drones.
Defense Technologies Engineering and Trade Inc. (STM) demonstrated its KARGU loitering munition swarm capability during the exercise. The system, already operationally deployed across 15 countries on four continents, was operated by a single operator controlling a swarm of 20 units simultaneously, following a landmark live-fire test conducted in January 2026 that STM described as a world first.
Running alongside the live-fire phases, the Defense Industry Exhibition has drawn procurement officials and military delegations to stands hosting more than 50 Turkish defense firms. Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is displaying its Kaan fifth-generation fighter jet, Hürjet advanced jet trainer and Anka-3 stealth unmanned combat aircraft. Aselsan is presenting its Toygun and Karat electro-optical and infrared targeting systems, developed indigenously following foreign embargoes on previously imported optics technology.
For the governments represented at EFES 2026, the exercise offers a direct look at a defense industry that has moved from dependency to self-sufficiency within a decade, and that is now competing for export contracts across Central Asia, Africa and Europe. The exercise concludes on May 21.
Turkish authorities detained five suspects on bribery and money laundering charges as part of an investigation targeting Istanbul’s Beşiktaş Municipality, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced Tuesday.
In a statement, prosecutors said the investigation was being carried out in coordination with the Istanbul Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit.
Among those detained were former Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Cevdet Çalı and current municipal council member İlker Uluer of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Former CHP municipal council member Oylum Işık was also among the suspects taken into custody.
The other suspects were identified as Beşiktaş Municipality Personnel Services Manager Bülent Karakaş and Sarbel Organization office employee Özlem Demir Karakaş.
Authorities said searches conducted at the suspects’ homes and offices led to the seizure of numerous digital materials, along with $90,000 (TL 4.1 million) and 5,000 euros ($5,809) believed to be proceeds of crime.
The investigation is ongoing.
The main opposition CHP is under mounting scrutiny as a wave of corruption, bribery and terrorism-related investigations sweeps across its municipalities, with dozens detained in coordinated raids across several cities.
More than 20 mayors governing CHP municipalities were detained or arrested in the past two years on charges of corruption, along with dozens of municipal bureaucrats in Istanbul, Antalya, Bursa, Bolu and Uşak.
High-profile cases include Istanbul’s suspended mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, and Antalya’s ousted mayor, Muhittin Böcek, whose cases have drawn national attention following their arrests late last year and trials that began earlier this month.
Police on Tuesday launched operations in Istanbul, Bursa and another city against the terrorist group Daesh.
A total of 110 suspects were captured in operations that followed similar raids in the past few weeks against the group, which is named as the culprit behind a recent attack against police officers outside the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul.
Counterterrorism and intelligence units launched raids in several locations to capture the suspects, including those who ran “classes” for potential Daesh recruits in illegal associations, those training minors on the ideology of the terrorist groups, as well as suspects collecting funds for Daesh convicts in prisons.
Authorities said the suspects were also involved in propaganda activities and sold books and magazines promoting Daesh. In operations, police teams also discovered four rifles, 90 cartridges and a trove of banned publications promoting Daesh.
The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul said an investigation revealed that two suspects, identified as Ishak Baysal and Tekin Ireç, assumed “leadership” of the network of suspects and organized “classes” in illegally founded associations and so-called “masjids” in Istanbul’s Sultanbeyli, Kartal and Sancaktepe districts. It is unclear if it is the same Tekin Ireç who offers audio recordings on a YouTube channel about religion. Prosecutors said the “masjids” were used to train children. The statement by the Chief Prosecutor’s Office also said that suspects collected cash from donors under the name of fitr and zakat (Islamic terms associated with charity) to aid families of imprisoned Daesh suspects.
“The suspects were involved in radical discourse calling for so-called jihad and declared any faction other than Daesh as infidels and insulted the state and the government for carrying out counterterrorism operations,” The Office stated.
Last week, police arrested another 324 people in raids targeting Daesh suspects across 47 provinces, the Interior Ministry said.
On April 7, a gunman was killed, and two others were wounded in a shootout outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said one of them was linked to an “organization that exploits religion,” which Turkish media reported was Daesh.
At the end of December, Daesh terrorists opened fire on police in the northwestern town of Yalova, killing three officers and wounding nine others.
Six Daesh members were also killed in the hours-long gun battle that followed, with Türkiye rounding up more than 600 suspected members of the group in the following weeks.
Türkiye considers the Daesh terrorist group one of the biggest threats to the country’s security and peace and was one of the first countries to declare it a terrorist group in 2013. It has suffered from several Daesh attacks since then, including a suicide bombing in an Ankara train station that killed 100 people in 2015 and a deadly Istanbul nightclub shooting on New Year’s in 2017.
At its peak in 2015, Daesh controlled a swath of territory across Iraq and Syria, half the size of the United Kingdom. It was notorious for its brutality against religious minorities, as well as Muslims who do not follow the terrorists’ ideology.
After years of fighting, the U.S.-led coalition broke the group’s last hold on territory in late 2019, but Daesh cells in multiple countries continue to carry out periodic attacks.
Making wolf signs and hurling flowers on his car, a group of youth welcomed Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli to a massive gathering in the capital Ankara on Tuesday. Organized by Idealists’ Clubs Education and Culture Foundation, an affiliate of the party, the Great Congress of Turkish Youth brought together youngsters from across the country on the national holiday Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day.
Addressing a packed, enthusiastic sports hall filled with thousands, Bahçeli expressed his immense pride and deep emotion at the spectacle.
“I feel immense pride from this magnificent sight, from the enthusiasm that surrounds this hall from end to end, and from the love for our ideal,” Bahçeli declared. “I am overjoyed to witness the future of our sublime nation and the young members of the Turkish-Islamic cause.”
The MHP leader emphasized that the youth standing before him carry the ancient strength of Ergenekon, the determination of Malazgirt, and the independence torch of Samsun. He noted that exactly 109 years after May 19, 1919, the sun of freedom continues to shine brightly in the eyes of the Turkish youth, proving the enduring strength and resilience of the nationalist movement shaping the Republic of Türkiye. He was referring to the campaign by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the republic, which started on May 19, 1919, when he set foot in Samsun in northern Türkiye. He arrived from Istanbul. Atatürk’s tour of Anatolia and participation in several congresses paved the way for a future struggle for an independent Türkiye that rose from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.
In his speech, Bahçeli drew powerful historical parallels between the challenges of the past and the unwavering strength of today’s leadership. He described May 19, 1919, as the blessed beginning where the Turkish nation shattered the chains of captivity and rejected the games plotted by imperialist powers.
Bahçeli highlighted how Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s first step in Samsun served as the ultimate answer to the nation’s cries for liberation. “That first step transformed into a national consciousness in Havza, a decree of liberation in Amasya, national unity in Erzurum, and a national will that became a state in Ankara with the resolve of ‘Either independence or death,'” Bahçeli stated.
Reaffirming the absolute alignment of the state’s vision with the historical mandate of the nation, Bahçeli made it clear that Türkiye’s current path is one of unstoppable progress, leaving no room for hesitation, division or fatigue.
“Today, I want you to know very well that we are marching upon this very foundation. There is no room for fatigue in this march. There is no room for despair, hesitation, submission, exhaustion, or division,” the MHP leader firmly asserted.
Concluding his historic address, Bahçeli urged the youth to be the vanguard of Türkiye’s ongoing journey toward global prominence. He reminded them of their duty to sustain this great struggle through hard work, faith, integrity, and intellectual excellence.
“Your duty today is to be soldiers in the foremost ranks of this campaign,” Bahçeli concluded, invoking Atatürk’s advice to never look for outside saviors, but to find the strength within themselves.
Mauritania’s top diplomat, Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, will visit Türkiye on Wednesday for talks with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan focused on expanding cooperation in trade, defense and regional security, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said.
According to the sources, Fidan is expected to reaffirm Türkiye’s commitment to deepening ties with Mauritania and emphasize the importance of implementing decisions taken during the first Türkiye-Mauritania Joint Economic Commission meeting held in May 2025.
The talks are expected to focus on increasing bilateral trade volume and mutual investments, as well as expanding cooperation in defense and the defense industry.
Fidan is also expected to highlight the potential for closer cooperation in the fisheries, agriculture and mining sectors.
The Turkish foreign minister is anticipated to reiterate Ankara’s support for the economic and social development of Sahel countries and its efforts in combating terrorism in the region.
The two ministers are also expected to discuss strengthening cooperation within multilateral platforms, including the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Merzoug previously met Fidan in Istanbul during a visit to Türkiye on April 21. The two officials also held talks in Djibouti in 2024 on the sidelines of the Third Türkiye-Africa Partnership Ministerial Review Conference.
Türkiye’s embassy in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, was established in 2011, while Mauritania’s embassy in Ankara was opened in 2010, according to diplomatic sources.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Mauritania on Feb. 28, 2018, marked the first presidential-level visit from Türkiye to Mauritania and gave momentum to bilateral relations.
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