The trial of jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on charges of forging his university degree was on Monday adjourned to December 8, after a heated dispute erupted over the size of the courtroom.
Imamoglu — widely regarded as the most formidable challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the opposition CHP’s declared presidential candidate for 2028 — appeared in court under compulsion after initially refusing to attend due to disagreements between his lawyers and the presiding judge.
His defence team argued that the courtroom assigned for the prison hearing was too small to accommodate legal representatives and observers, prompting tense exchanges that led to a postponement.
The 54-year-old politician, who served as mayor of Turkey’s largest and wealthiest city until his arrest in March last year, faces multiple legal battles — including corruption and document fraud charges — that his supporters say are politically motivated.
Imamoglu was detained on March 18, 2024, alongside several members of his administration, after Istanbul University revoked his degree, which he had earned in 1990.
University officials allege that Imamoglu’s degree was invalid because he completed the first two years of his studies at a Northern Cyprus institution — one not officially recognized at the time by Turkey’s Council of Higher Education.
If convicted, Imamoglu could face a prison sentence ranging from two and a half years to nearly nine years, and the nullification of his academic qualification would disqualify him from holding public office, effectively ending his presidential ambitions.
The case has drawn widespread attention across Turkey and beyond, with opposition figures denouncing it as part of a broader crackdown on political dissent ahead of the next election cycle.
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