06.08.2026 21:50
The Istanbul 33rd Heavy Penal Court completed the expected monthly detention review through the file in the case of the 'IMM criminal organization for profit,' which has gripped Turkey. The court panel ruled that the detention of 53 defendants, including presidential candidate and suspended IMM President Ekrem Imamoglu, Sisli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, and Beylikduzu Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalik, should continue.
The Istanbul 33rd Heavy Penal Court completed its monthly review of detention based on the case file in the trial publicly known as the "Imamoglu criminal organization for profit" case.
The court panel decided to continue the detention of 53 detained defendants, including the suspended Mayor of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Ekrem Imamoglu, Sisli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, and Beylikduzu Mayor Mehmet Murat Calik. It was announced that the next hearing will be held on Monday, August 17, in the courtroom opposite the Marmara Closed Penal Institution.
MASSIVE PUBLIC DAMAGE
In the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau, the Ministry of Interior Inspection Board is listed as the "complainant," and the Ministries of Treasury and Finance, Interior, Energy and Natural Resources, Agriculture and Forestry, along with the Provincial Environment Directorate, IBB, and Sisli Municipality, are listed as "parties harmed by the crime."
The indictment includes 16 complainants and a total of 407 defendants, 7 of whom are fugitives and 5 are complainant-defendants. It is assessed that the public damage caused by the 143 actions the criminal organization carried out since 2014 amounts to approximately 160 billion lira (excluding current value), 24 million dollars, and 95 immovable properties nationwide.
RECORD PRISON SENTENCE REQUESTED FOR IMAMOGLU
In the prepared organization chart, Ekrem Imamoglu is shown as the "organization leader," while Murat Ongun, Fatih Keles, Adem Soytekin, Ertan Yildiz, Huseyin Gun, and fugitive Murat Gulibrahimoglu are defined as "organization executives." It is stated that 10 members directly report to Imamoglu, while dozens of members in total operate under the other executives.
Imamoglu is facing a total prison sentence of 849 years to 2,430 years and 6 months for charges including "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes," "bribery," "extortion," "bid rigging," "fraud against public harm," "laundering of assets derived from crime," and various other violations of law.
The prison sentences requested for the other organization executives are listed as follows:
Fatih Keles: from 556 years and 8 months to 1,542 years and 8 months
Murat Ongun: from 287 years and 6 months to 779 years and 6 months
Ertan Yildiz: from 86 years to 251 years
Adem Soytekin: from 67 years to 194 years
Murat Gulibrahimoglu: from 19 years and 6 months to 51 years
Huseyin Gun: from 20 years to 40 years
It was requested that "active remorse" provisions be applied to organization executives Adem Soytekin, Huseyin Gun, and Ertan Yildiz based on the information they provided.
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS AGAINST MUNICIPAL MAYORS
The sentences requested for the other suspended mayors in the indictment have also been clarified. Resul Emrah Şahan faces 35 to 91 years in prison for crimes such as "accepting bribes," "extortion," and "being a member of an organization"; while Mehmet Murat Calik faces 30 to 88 years in prison for "accepting bribes" and "being a member of an organization."
Additionally, the case file involving 7 defendants, including Inan Guney, who was suspended from his post as Beyoglu Mayor, was merged with the main case. In the consolidated file, prison sentences of 9 years and 8 months to 31 years and 8 months are sought for the defendants on charges of "aiding an organization" and "fraud against public harm."
With 57 defendants being released during the trial process, the number of detainees in the case has dropped to 53.