The 64th hearing is underway in the IBB case, where 414 people, 59 of whom are in detention—including the CHP Presidential Candidate and Istanbul Mayor —are being tried.

The hearing, held by the Istanbul 33rd High Criminal Court in the courtroom opposite the Marmara Closed Penal Execution Institution, was attended by several detainees including IBB Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık, Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney, former CHP MP Aykut Erdoğdu, IBB Mayor's Advisor and Chair of the Medya Inc. Murat Ongun, IBB Sports Club President Fatih Keleş, and lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan, who is a detained defendant and the lawyer for the suspended IBB Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu.

At the hearing, which was also attended by some non-detained defendants and their lawyers, several CHP MPs and the relatives of the detainees were present as observers.

Nergiz Ince, the lawyer for IBB Sports Club President Fatih Keleş, is continuing his unfinished defence statement. Following this, the defence by Keleş’s other lawyer, Baran Kaya, will begin.

After the lawyers' statements, the court will proceed to the defence of the detained IBB Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu. Imamoğlu’s defence is expected to last for two days.

It has been reported that the elected CHP Chairman, Özgür Özel, will arrive at the courtroom in Silivri Prison today at 14:00 to follow the proceedings.

At the previous session (63rd day) of the case regarding the IBB, IBB Sports Club President Fatih Keleş concluded his defence.

Detained Ekrem Imamoğlu was removed from the courtroom during last Thursday’s hearing (2 July) following an argument with the judicial panel, with a warning issued under Article 203 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Imamoğlu was not brought to yesterday's hearing. Although Imamoğlu's lawyer, Tora Pekin, requested that his client be brought to the courtroom, the presiding judge stated, "We have made our decision; we will bring him tomorrow."

"THE GOVERNOR'S UNCLE ALSO DID BUSINESS"

In his defence, Keleş touched upon his work with Murat Gülibrahimoğlu at the Cebeci Mining Site, stating that the Governor's uncle was also engaged in trade. The relevant section of Keleş’s defence is as follows:

"I am stating this just in case you are curious about who was trading with Murat Gülibrahimoğlu; I wasn't the only one. Our Governor's uncle also had a subcontracting firm and was working with him. In the meantime, I had no decision-making or authorisation power in Cebeci, but our Governor did, and his uncle was working with Murat Gülibrahimoğlu. Whatever extent to which my trade was genuine, his trade was just as genuine; I mean nothing more than that."

The presiding judge announced that Imamoğlu would be invited to the defendant's podium to deliver his defence this afternoon (8 July). Imamoğlu is scheduled to deliver his defence this afternoon.

In the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Organised Crime Investigation Bureau, the Presidency of the Civil Service Inspection Board is listed as the "informant," while the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and the Şişli Municipality are listed as "aggrieved parties."

Furthermore, the indictment includes 16 "complainants" and a total of 402 "defendants," of whom 89 are in detention, 7 are fugitives, and 5 are "complainant-defendants."

In the "organisational" chart within the indictment, detained Ekrem Imamoğlu is alleged to be the "organisation leader," while detained Murat Ongun, Fatih Keleş, and Adem Soytekin, along with non-detained Ertan Yıldız, and Hüseyin Gün and Murat Gülibrahimoğlu—who are detained for other offences—are alleged to be "organisation executives."

IMAMOĞLU FACES UP TO 2,430 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS IN PRISON

The indictment seeks a total prison sentence ranging from 849 years to 2,430 years and 6 months for Ekrem Imamoğlu for charges including "establishing an organisation for the purpose of committing crimes," "recording personal data," "seizing and disseminating personal data," "concealing criminal evidence," "obstructing communication," "damaging public property," "bribery," "publicly disseminating misleading information," "extortion," "fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organisations," "laundering assets derived from crime," "rigging tenders," "intentional environmental pollution," "violation of the Tax Procedure Law," "violation of the Forestry Law," and "violation of the Mining Law."

The indictment demands a sentence ranging from 556 years and 8 months to 1,542 years and 8 months for Keleş on charges of 48 counts of "bribery," "accepting bribes," "giving bribes," 55 counts of "rigging tenders," 39 counts of "fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organisations," 8 counts of "laundering criminal proceeds," "violation of the Mining Law," "violation of the Forestry Law," "causing environmental pollution," "violation of the Tax Procedure Law," "extortion," "destroying, concealing, or altering criminal evidence," and "obstructing communication."

For Ongun, the indictment seeks a prison sentence of 287 years and 6 months to 779 years and 6 months for charges of "bribery," 53 counts of "rigging tenders," 33 counts of "fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organisations," "disseminating, spreading, or seizing personal data," "publicly disseminating misleading information," and "laundering criminal proceeds," while for Yıldız, it foresees a prison sentence of 86 to 251 years for "bribery," "rigging tenders," and "fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organisations."

The indictment demands 67 to 194 years in prison for Soytekin for "bribery," "succesive bribery," "extortion," and "laundering proceeds of crime," while it seeks 19 years and 6 months to 51 years for Gülibrahimoğlu for "fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organisations," "laundering criminal proceeds," "forgery of documents," "violation of the Mining Law," "violation of the Forestry Law," "causing environmental pollution," and "violation of the Tax Procedure Law."

Demanding 20 to 40 years of imprisonment for Gün for "establishing an organisation for the purpose of committing crimes" and "disseminating, spreading, or seizing personal data," the indictment states that these defendants, who hold positions as organisation executives, should also be sentenced as perpetrators for all crimes committed within the scope of the activities of the organisation's subordinate structures.

The indictment requests the application of "effective remorse" provisions for defendants Adem Soytekin, Hüseyin Gün, and Ertan Yıldız, who provided information regarding the alleged crimes after their apprehension.

The indictment includes a request for a total sentence of 35 to 91 years in prison for Şişli Mayor Emrah Resul Şahan, who was suspended from his post following his detention, on charges of 5 counts of "accepting bribes," 2 counts of "extortion," "unlawful recording of personal data," "unlawfully disseminating or seizing personal data," and "membership in an organisation established to commit crimes." It also demands a total of 30 to 88 years in prison for Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık, who was similarly suspended, on charges of 7 counts of "accepting bribes" and "membership in an organisation established to commit crimes."

An indictment prepared for 7 individuals, including Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney—who was suspended from his post following his detention—was merged with this case.

The indictment demands 9 years and 8 months to 31 years and 8 months in prison each for the detained İnan Güney, İsmail Akkaya, and Seyhan Özcan, as well as non-detained defendants Veysel Eren Güven, Sabriye Akkaya, Mehmet Akif Bulut, and Deniz Göleli, on charges of "aiding an organisation established to commit crimes without being a member" and "fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organisations."

In previous sessions, the judicial panel decided to release 51 defendants.

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled İBB davasında 64. celse başladı: Ekrem İmamoğlu savunma yapacak, published in BirGün newspaper on July 8, 2026.