12.03.2026 10:40
The corruption trial against İBB continues on its fourth day, with defendants including Ekrem İmamoğlu. Dilek İmamoğlu, who reacted to the bailiffs warning families in the audience who were taking photos of each other, said, "You create tension every morning." Today's hearing will begin with the defense of Ümit Polat, the Purchasing Manager of Ağaç A.Ş., who is benefiting from the effective remorse provisions.
The fourth hearing of the "corruption" case against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), which involves 402 defendants including Ekrem İmamoğlu, started with tension. The fourth session of the trial, which is being heard by the Istanbul 40th Heavy Penal Court, is taking place in courtroom No. 1 located across from the Marmara Closed Penal Institution. In the case where a total of 407 defendants are being tried, 107 defendants are in custody while 5 individuals are present as complainants.
DILEK İMAMOĞLU: YOU CAUSE TENSION EVERY MORNING
The tension rose when the court clerk warned families taking photos of each other in the audience section before the hearing. In response, Dilek İmamoğlu, the wife of Ekrem İmamoğlu, reacted to the clerk, saying, "You cause tension every morning. These people have been inside for a year for no reason. These days will pass. Go see if you can spend a night there unjustly."
THE FIRST WITNESS WILL DEFEND
The fourth hearing of the case will begin with the defense of Ümit Polat, the Purchasing Manager of Ağaç A.Ş. The arrested Ümit Polat had given statements under effective remorse on May 28, 2025, and September 3, 2025.
On the fourth day of the hearing, where security measures are still in place, it was noted that the gendarmerie presence has increased.
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PREVIOUS HEARING?
In the third session of the trial held yesterday, the defense of Baki Aydöner, a member of the CHP PM, and businessman Bulut Aydöner, as well as the driver of Özgür Karabat, Sırrı Küçük, was taken. The detained defendant Yavuz Saltık faced intervention from the gendarmerie as he responded to audience members waving at him while being brought into the courtroom. The gendarmerie tried to forcibly seat Saltık by holding his arm. While Saltık reacted to this, lawyers and audience members protested with applause. The defense lawyers requested the gendarmerie involved in the intervention to be removed from the courtroom.
FROM THE INDICTMENT
In the 3,809-page indictment completed by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on November 11, 2025, the Presidency of the Civil Service Inspection Board is listed as the "whistleblower," while the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and the Şişli Municipality are listed as "victims of the crime." Sixteen individuals are listed as "complainants," five as "complainant-suspects," and 402 individuals, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, are listed as "suspects." In the prepared indictment, Ekrem İmamoğlu is described as the founder and leader of the organization, while Fatih Keleş, Murat Ongun, Ertan Yıldız, Murat Gülibrahimoğlu, Adem Soytekin, and Hüseyin Gün are referred to as "organization managers." The indictment requests a total prison sentence of up to 2,430 years for İmamoğlu for charges including "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime," 12 counts of "bribery," 7 counts of "money laundering," 2 counts of "recording personal data," 2 counts of "seizing or disseminating personal data," 4 counts of "hiding criminal evidence," "obstructing communication," "damaging public property," 47 counts of "receiving bribes," "publicly disseminating misleading information," 9 counts of "extortion," 46 counts of "fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations," 4 counts of "money laundering from criminal proceeds," 70 counts of "manipulating tenders," "deliberately polluting the environment," "violating the Tax Procedure Law," "violating the Forestry Law," and "violating the Mining Law." Additionally, the prepared indictment stated that the total public damage since the date of the crime is 160 billion TL and 24 million dollars.