A majority of Turkish citizens believe that the investigations targeting İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who has been in pretrial detention since March 23, are politically driven rather than based on legal grounds, according to a recent nationwide survey, Turkish Minute reported.
The results of the poll, conducted by Yöneylem Research, were published on X on Monday.
According to the survey, nearly 57 percent of respondents view the cases against the high-profile opposition figure as political in nature, revealing growing public skepticism over the impartiality of the judiciary under the rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
İmamoğlu, a senior member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and his party’s presidential candidate for the next election, was detained on March 19 as part of an investigation that accuses him of corruption and terrorism, widely viewed as politically motivated. He was later arrested on corruption charges. His arrest, widely seen as targeting the biggest political rival to President Erdoğan in the 2028 presidential election, sparked Turkey’s worst protests in a decade.
The nationwide “Turkey Politics Survey,” carried out between May 19 and 22 with 2,000 participants, asked respondents whether they found the allegations against İmamoğlu directed as part of the ongoing probes against him convincing. According to the results, 56.8 percent of respondents said “no,” while only 27.8 percent found the allegations credible. The remaining 15.4 percent chose not to respond.
Even among voters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its far-right ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), more than one in five said they did not find the accusations against İmamoğlu convincing.
Specifically, 17.6 percent of AKP voters and 19.3 percent of MHP voters said they were not persuaded by the allegations. Notably, 20.1 percent of AKP voters and 25.1 percent of MHP voters declined to answer the question.
In the run-up to his arrest, pro-government media outlets in Turkey stepped up efforts to discredit İmamoğlu, running a series of negative stories focusing on his travel, municipal spending and alleged misuse of public funds. The media campaign is widely seen part of a broader strategy to erode his popularity and tarnish his image ahead of future elections.
A rising opposition figure
İmamoğlu was first elected mayor of İstanbul in 2019, defeating the AKP’s candidate in a highly contentious vote. His victory was viewed as a major political blow to President Erdoğan, who began his political career as mayor of İstanbul.
He was re-elected in the March 2024 local elections.
Since then, İmamoğlu has faced multiple legal challenges, which critics say are part of a broader effort by Erdoğan’s government to sideline potential presidential rivals. In 2022, he was sentenced to more than two years in prison and banned from politics for allegedly insulting election officials, an outcome that drew strong domestic and international condemnation. The case is under appeal.
İmamoğlu is viewed as a key challenger in the opposition bloc and a potential future presidential candidate, especially after the CHP’s strong performance in the 2024 local elections.
