TurkeyWatch

Political developments in Turkey with a focus on Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu | Democracy | Freedom of Speech | Human Rights

[TurkeyWatch @TurkeyLens]

EKREM IMAMOGLU SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS BLOCKED IN TURKEY — AGAIN

Turkish authorities have blocked Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s X account and YouTube channel on the grounds of “protecting national security and public order”. This is the 7th İmamoğlu X account that was censored in Turkey.

Imamoglu announced his presidential candidacy on FEB 21, 2025. His university diploma, mandatory for presidential candidacy, was annulled on MAR 18, 2025 and he was arrested the following day.

Turkish authorities have been systematically slandering him on the ruling party affiliated media, labeling him as “criminal organization leader” on official legal documents and repeatedly blocking his social media accounts, painting him in the public eye as a danger to “national security.”

Legal experts and human rights advocates argue that censoring İmamoğlu’s social media accounts and treating him as guilty violates the presumption of innocence and undermines the rule of law.

[EngelliWeb @engelliweb]

Ekrem İmamoğlu'nun YouTube kanalı ile Cumhurbaşkanlığı Aday Ofisi'nin X hesabı, millî güvenlik ve kamu düzeninin korunması gerekçesiyle erişime engellendi. YouTube 787 bin aboneli kanalı, X ise 222 bin takipçili hesabı henüz Türkiye'den görünmez kılmadı. https://t.co/vOOUlFxcdO

[TurkeyWatch @TurkeyLens]

@nejat_turktas Atanmışlar, emir komuta merkezinin, yani AKP’nin çizdiği sınırlar içinde muhalefet rolü oynamayı reddeden seçilmişleri görevden alıyorlar. Milli irade kazanacak. Seçilmişler kazanacak. Ayağınıza taş değmesin Başkanım.

[TurkeyWatch @TurkeyLens]

TURKISH OPPOSITION LEADER SAYS ANKARA CRACKDOWN BEGAN AFTER CONTROVERSIAL JUDICIAL RESHUFFLE LAST MONTH

Speaking at his party's parliamentary group meeting on July 14, Özgür Özel said the operations in Ankara began after prosecutors behind İstanbul operations were appointed to Ankara in a judicial reshuffle last month.

On June 12, 2026, then Akın Gürlek’s deputy chief prosecutor Aykut Çelik, one of the seven prosecutors who prepared the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality indictment was appointed as the Chief Prosecutor of Ankara.

Aykut Çelik also prepared the Aziz İhsan Aktaş indictment.

Aykut Çelik was also involved in two investigations involving Özgür Özel and his close associate Veli Ağbaba. Since both Özel and Ağbaba are members of parliament, Aykut Çelik cited lack of jurisdiction for İstanbul and forwarded the case files to the Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s Office — last month. Ankara has jurisdiction over investigations involving members of parliament. Now serving as Ankara Chief Prosecutor, Çelik will oversee the very investigations he conducted while in İstanbul and the two case files he prepared and forwarded to Ankara last month.

[Nacho Sánchez Amor @NachoSAmor]

Like an oil slick, the crackdown on main opposition party CHP is spreading relentlessly across #Türkiye. Next phase is on & target moved to #Ankara. They started by main district #Çankaya & its Mayor @hcanguner. The selective persecution is obvious & we can guess the next steps.

[TurkeyWatch @TurkeyLens]

TURKISH OPPOSITION LEADER CLAIMS TURKISH JUDICIARY IS SELECTING PROSECUTORS WILLING TO TARGET OPPOSITION ON DEMAND

ÖZGÜR ÖZEL: For awhile now, there has been pressure to launch operations against Ankara municipalities.

The previous Ankara chief prosecutor, the deputy chief prosecutor and all the prosecutors were not affiliated with the Republican People's Party (CHP). But they wouldn’t carry out operations on government's order. They would say, there are set procedures for municipal audits. If there is an allegation against a municipality, or without an allegation, an inspector conducts an audit. If he finds something, he asks questions. If he isn’t satisfied, he writes a report and files a criminal complaint. The Ministry of Interior decides if a mayor should be prosecuted or not. This procedure should be followed. Only if a mayor is caught accepting a bribe, then a prosecutor can take an immediate action. And in such case (bribe), we have not and we would not keep that individual in our party.

Those who don’t follow these procedures were removed from their positions by the latest decree or by judicial appointment. Some were promoted to the Court of Cassation. Others were reassigned to different parts of Turkey. Their duty stations were changed. This is shameful and unprecedented in the history of law. 

Akın Gürlek's team is appointed to Ankara. They appointed a deputy chief prosecutor from İstanbul as Ankara's Chief Public Prosecutor. They designed prosecutors as it suits them, setting the stage for an operation in Ankara. 

Recently, they asked a prosecutor ‘if we assign you to the criminal court and when a case comes before you’ — giving names of our associates — ‘if a request is made for these people’s arrest, will you do it?’ They interview people asking  ‘when you are told to order these people’s arrest, will you do it without hesitation?' 

We heard from a firsthand source that they asked these questions to a prosecutor — a relative of a current member of the Parliament. If he becomes willing to speak out, naming names, we will reveal the details to the public.”

[European Democrats @democrats_eu]

Turkey’s democracy is under pressure.
@imamoglu_int is on trial because Erdoğan fears what he represents: a real democratic alternative.
This is not justice. It is politics dressed as law.
Europe must not look away. Rights, freedom and the rule of law are not optional.
Turkish citizens must be free to choose their future.
@sandrogozi

[TurkeyWatch @TurkeyLens]

@muslimsarichp İBB davasında, Mutlak Butlan davasında ve Çankaya operasyonunda gizli tanıkların kimin adamları olduğu belli. Hak, hukuk, masumiyet karinesi diye halkı kandırdığınızı sanmayın. Mertseniz, ayan beyan tanıklık edin! Süreci başlatan sizsiniz, tabi ki yakından takip edeceksiniz.

[TurkeyWatch @TurkeyLens]

@yavuzyilmazd 1 Milyar 471 Milyon dolarlık cezanın 1 doları bile Erdoğan’ın cebinden çıkmayacak. İşte bu gibi birçok yolsuzluklarla yargılanacaklarını bildikleri için CHP’ye operasyonlar yapılıyor. Ama anlamadıkları şey: korkmaları gereken CHP değil; halk.

[TurkeyWatch @TurkeyLens]

@barisyarkadas Mutlak butlan kararı çıkalı 51 gün geçti. Kayyum atansaydı, 45 gün içinde kurultay yapıp şimdiye gitmişti.

Kılıçdaoğlu kurultay yapıp gitmeye değil, onu desteklemeyenleri ihraç edip kalmaya niyetli bir koltuk arsızı. CHP’nin birinci parti oluşundan çok rahatsız oldunuz.

[TurkeyWatch @TurkeyLens]

@ersozhuseyin @ehermaner Hakimin “gelecek perşembe yargılamanın ilk celsesini tamamlayacağız” dediği gün, HSK 34-41. Ağır Ceza’ları kapattı, İBB davası 33. Ağır Ceza’ya devredildi, şimdi İBB itirazlarına Aziz İhsan Aktaş heyeti bakacak. Bu itirazın yapılacağını öngördüler, ona göre önlem aldılar.

[TurkeyWatch @TurkeyLens]

@cenginyurt52 @eczozgurozel @alimahir @gunaydingokhan Butlancıların ardında iktidarın yargı ve emniyet güçleri var. İktidar isterse, bal gibi yaparlar. Şu paylaşımı yapmakla ne kazandık? Biraz poker yüzü takınalım, her düşündüğümüzü paylaşıp kışkırtmayalım. Kışkırtmadan, stratejiyle ilerlemek zorundayız.

[TurkeyWatch @TurkeyLens]

Nereden biliyorsunuz düne kadar partinin önünden geçmediklerini? Daha 2 gün olmadı çıkalı, yanınızda duran insanları kırıyorsunuz. Mahkemede insanlar protesto için dışarıya çıktı, yaptığınız bencillikti. Ya hep beraber, ya hiç birimiz. Ne hapisteyken, ne çıkınca butlan yönetimine tek kelime etmediniz. Sebep?

[Cumhurbaşkanlığı Aday Ofisi @CAOIletisim11]

Benimle yarışmaktan korkuyor. Sesimden, sözümden, görüntümden, ismimden korkuyor. O yüzden:

Sesim yasak,
görüntüm yasak,
fotoğrafım yasak,
X hesabım yasak,
mahkemeye gelmem yasak,
savunma yapmam yasak!

[Commissioner for Human Rights @CommissionerHR]

I expressed concern regarding the right to a fair trial and judicial independence in the proceedings against Ekrem İmamoğlu, elected mayor of Istanbul, and other defendants. The authorities of Türkiye should ensure that all proceedings comply with the #ECHR. Read my statement ⬇️
https://t.co/c7IVqXvkXT

[Socialist International @Soc_Intl]

🇬🇧 Statement on the political trial of Ekrem İmamoğlu

🇪🇸 Declaración sobre el juicio político de Ekrem İmamoğlu

🇫🇷 Déclaration sur le procès politique d'Ekrem İmamoğlu

@imamoglu_int @ekrem_imamoglu

[TurkeyWatch @TurkeyLens]

TURKİSH POLICE ENTER CHP İSTANBUL HQ FOLLOWING DİSPUTE OVER İMAMOĞLU BANNER

Court-appointed CHP administration removed Ekrem İmamoğlu banner from the party’s İstanbul Provincial HQ on July 9. The banner featured Atatürk’s quote: “Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation.”

They replaced it with a banner featuring Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu with his quote: “Now is the time to cleanse” a pledge he makes to remove party members he claims are corrupt.

In the evening, İmamoğlu supporters put his banner back up.

Kılıçdaroğlu supporters returned with police, removed İmamoğlu banner again and seized the CHP İstanbul Provincial Headquarters.

[TurkeyWatch @TurkeyLens]

@NachoSAmor @Europarl_EN @ekrem_imamoglu Turkish judiciary, controlled by Erdoğan, strategically scheduled İmamoğlu trial to coincide with NATO summit to deflect media and public attention. For 4 months, no defendant or attorney’s defense time was limited but now the Court limits İmamoğlu and his 3 lawyers to half day.

[TurkeyWatch @TurkeyLens]

@NachoSAmor @Europarl_EN @ekrem_imamoglu Today, Ekrem İmamoğlu objected that half-day isn’t enough for his defense. Judge said take it or leave it, I will just let the records show that you opted not to defend yourself and used the right to remain silent. Judge threw İmamoğlu out of courtroom.