ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday released an indictment against detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seeking a prison sentence of up to 2,430 years on charges including establishing a “terrorist organization, bribery, fraud, bid rigging, money laundering, and disseminating personal data.” 

Istanbul’s detained Mayor Imamoglu was under investigation for espionage, alongside previous charges including bribery, extortion, and aiding the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) since his detainment in late March.

Imamoglu is requested to be sentenced to up to 2,430 years in prison for the crimes of "establishing an organization, bribery, fraud, bid rigging, money laundering, [and] disseminating personal data," Chief Public Prosecutor of Istanbul Akin Gurlek said, citing the indictment consists of 3,900 pages, the Turkish state media outlet TRT reported. 

The indictment defined Imamoglu as "the founder and leader of the organization."

The indictment lists multiple counts for each charge against him, including 70 counts of bid rigging, 39 counts of fraud against public institutions and organizations, and 47 counts of bribery, among others.

402 other suspects in the file are “knowingly and willingly” involved with the organization's activities, while suspects Fatih Keles, Murat Ongun, Ertan Yildiz, Murat Gulibrahimoglu, Adem Soytekin, and Huseyin Gun were considered “the managers of the organization.”

The investigation “is continuing regarding some of the suspects,” Gurlek said. 

The indictment names 16 complainants, including the ministries of treasury and finance, interior, energy and natural resources, and the Istanbul provincial directorate of environment and urbanization, as institutions allegedly harmed by the crimes.

The cost in losses to the Turkish state in total is “approximately 160 billion Turkish liras and 24 million US dollars in movable assets,” Gurlek said. 

Turkey's opposition leader on Tuesday condemned indictments against Istanbul's popular mayor as "judicial interference," saying the charges sought to block him from running for president in the 2028 election.

"This case is not legal, it is entirely political. Its purpose is to stop the Republican People's Party (CHP), which came first in the last (local) elections, and to block its presidential candidate," Ozgur Ozel said on X.

Immamoglu, considered the most potent rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was nominated as a candidate for the CHP for the 2028 elections.

In late October, Imamoglu’s trial on charges that he faked his university degree was postponed after a clash between lawyers over the courtroom’s size. 

The next hearing had been scheduled for December 8, according to Turkish media.

The Turkish government has a long history of ousting elected mayors from opposition parties and replacing them with state-appointed trustees.

Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) co-chair Tulay Hatimogullari condemned the charges against Imamoglu on Tuesday, saying “This case is a prime example of the politicization of the judiciary,” a statement from the party said.

“We reiterate that Ekrem Imamoglu and the elected officials must be released immediately,” she said.