A Turkish prosecutor has sought an unprecedented sentence of more than 2,000 years in prison for Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who has been detained since March on corruption charges.

According to the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Imamoglu and 401 other defendants are accused of forming a graft network that allegedly caused approximately 160 billion Turkish liras ($3.81 billion) in financial losses to the state over a decade.

The charges include abuse of public office, bid rigging, bribery, and falsification of official documents, among other offenses. Prosecutors allege that the network operated through municipal contracts, procurement tenders, and real estate development projects linked to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

Imamoglu, a leading figure in Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them “a politically motivated attempt to silence the opposition.”

In a statement released through his lawyers earlier this month, Imamoglu said, “I have nothing to hide. Every lira spent under my administration has been transparent and accountable to the public. This case is not about justice — it’s about politics.”

If convicted on all counts, Imamoglu could face a cumulative sentence exceeding 2,000 years, though such extreme penalties are typically symbolic and rarely enforced in full under Turkish law.

The trial is set to continue in Istanbul’s Heavy Penal Court later this month. (ILKHA)