ISTANBUL: Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul’s jailed opposition mayor, went on trial on Friday on charges of falsifying his university degree.

The mayor is a popular figure, regarded as the only politician capable of beating Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the ballot box.

He was detained on March 19 and jailed several days later as part of a corruption investigation, a move that sparked Turkey’s worst street protests in over a decade.

On the eve of his arrest, Istanbul University revoked his degree alleging it had been falsely obtained. Under the Turkish constitution, anyone who runs for president must have a higher education degree.

Imamoglu, the main opposition CHP’s candidate for the 2028 presidential race, denounced the move as “unlawful” and vowed to fight it in court.

Friday’s hearing took place at Silivri courthouse, which is attached to the prison where he is being held 80 kilometres west of Istanbul.

Imamoglu is accused of “repeated falsification of official documents” in connection with alleged irregularities with his degree, according to legal documents.

As he walked into the court, many spectators began applauding and whistling, some chanting “President Imamoglu”, according to footage posted online by a Sozcu TV reporter.

Imamoglu’s lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan — who was also jailed in June — connected to the hearing online, but refused to offer a defence because he had not been allowed to talk with his client.

He asked to be physically present at the next hearing, but his request was rejected.

‘What is my crime?’

Addressing the court, Imamoglu said he had been accepted by a university in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) when he was 18.

He studied for a degree, which he then transferred to Istanbul University to complete in line with Turkiye’s Council of Higher Education (YOK) regulations, he added.

“I saw the announcement for a horizontal transfer to Istanbul University, met the requirements, applied and was accepted, studied and graduated,” he said.

“What exactly is my crime here? What fraud?” he asked, his remarks posted on X by lawyers and journalists at the court.

“This is the level of absurdity in the indictment: next they might even claim the TRNC does not exist just so my degree can be revoked.”

Prosecutors are seeking a jail term of up to eight years and nine months and a ban on all political activity.

After more than seven hours, the court adjourned the hearing to Oct 20.

Imamoglu;’s office has published a copy of the business management degree he received from Istanbul University in 1995 after a journalist questioned whether he had one.

The mayor has faced a mounting array of legal cases which government critics say are politically motivated.

In June, he went on trial over remarks questioning the integrity of Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor, facing charges of “threatening” and “insulting a public official”.

He is also on trial for remarks made about a court-appointed expert witness testifying against several CHP-run town councils. Imamoglu is accused in this case of attempting to influence a fair trial.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2025