Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu Arrested for Espionage: Case Details.

Arrest of the Mayor of Istanbul and Other Figures in the Political Espionage Case

According to inkorr.com: The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office initiated the arrest of the suspended mayor of the city, Ekrem Imamoglu, political technologist Necati Ozkan, and journalist Merdan Yanardag in a case of 'political espionage'. After interrogations, they were brought to court, which decided to arrest them. According to the investigation, Imamoglu created a 'commercial criminal organization' that allegedly engaged in corrupt schemes to finance his participation in presidential elections and espionage activities to obtain international support.

Imamoglu and Ozkan allegedly tried to influence the 2019 elections through social media and internal correspondence of voters, even using accounts of the city administration. All suspects deny the charges. Imamoglu particularly emphasized that the accusation of espionage is a 'shame that humiliates his entire life'. It should be noted that his detention occurred in March as part of a corruption investigation following a search of his home.

• The court decided to arrest the suspended mayor of Istanbul and two others on charges of espionage.
• The charges are part of an investigation into 'political espionage' and corruption.
• The accused deny the charges, calling them 'shameful'.

The investigation raises questions about methods of political influence through social media, which is relevant for Turkey. Imamoglu's detention has raised concerns among his supporters and drawn attention to the issue of political manipulation, which can have far-reaching consequences for the country's information space.