ISTANBUL, Turkey- A Turkish court has issued an arrest warrant for Ekrem İmam oğlu, the former mayor of Istanbul,
on charges of “espionage” in connection with the leak of confidential data on millions of voters during the 2019 elections.
According to the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office, a criminal case has been opened against Imam oglu,
Officials are suspected of leaking data on approximately 4.7 million voters to foreign intelligence agencies.
After an 11-hour interrogation, the Çağlayan court ordered the arrest of İmam oğlu,
In addition to Tele1 founder Merdan Yanardag and journalist Necati Ozkan, they are accused of espionage.
The leader of the opposition Republican People’s Party, Ozgur Ozel,
considered the decision a violation of the constitution.
Pointing out that the goal behind it is to prevent Imamoglu from running for the presidency.
It is noteworthy that Imamoglu, who won the mayoralty of Istanbul
in the 2019 elections and was re-elected in 2024,
He faces a series of legal issues, including the revocation of his university degrees last March.
Other charges include corruption and insulting officials.
İmamoğlu is currently being held in Istanbul’s Silivri Prison.
