İmamoğlu sentenced to 2 years, political ban

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was sentenced to 2 years and 1 month in prison and banned from holding public office under Article 53, officials said.

The verdict was delivered at a hearing held at the Silivri penal complex, where İmamoğlu faced charges tied to comments about former Tuzla mayor Şadi Yazıcı. Officials said prosecutors argued the offences included incitement and insult, and a judge sentenced İmamoğlu after the prosecutor’s findings.

Silivri ruling and Article 53

İmamoğlu had previously been acquitted twice in the same case; officials said an appeals court ordered a retrial on procedural grounds, sending the matter back to the criminal court for rehearing. The recent sentence carries a political ban under Article 53 of the penal code that would bar İmamoğlu from elected office if the conviction is upheld on appeal, officials said.

The decision immediately raises questions about the composition of local and national races if the ban becomes final. Officials and party spokespeople will be the primary voices shaping the response as legal remedies proceed. The appeals (istinaf) review will determine whether the sentence and the ban stand; officials did not provide a timetable for that ruling.

Close monitoring point: If the istinaf court upholds the verdict, the ban would take legal effect when that decision is issued; observers should watch for an appeals ruling by September 30, 2026, officials said.