The courtroom is huge, but the trial is very controversial: former Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has not yet been granted the right to a defense. And he has been in custody since March 2025.
In front of the courtroom of "Silivri" prison, not far from Istanbul, queues of visitors have been forming since early morning, wanting to attend the trial of former Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. In addition to him, charges have been brought against another 400 people, ARD reported.
The German public media outlet writes that the hall can accommodate over 2,400 visitors - lawyers, foreign diplomats, media representatives, family members and the general public.
"I want to show support"
Photographer Gülen told ARD: "I came to show support". The woman said: "I can't just sit at home in front of the TV, watch and be outraged. As a citizen, I have a responsibility to be here. For me, this is the most important thing happening in Turkey right now - the fight for our democracy".
Most of those present are members of the Republican People's Party - Ekrem Imamoglu's party and until recently the largest opposition party in the country. But after the judiciary dissolved its leadership, the "Yeni Parti" ("New Party") was established a few weeks ago and many MPs directly joined it. The former leader of the Republican People's Party, Özgür Öcel, is now the chairman of the "New Party", ARD points out.
Will İmamoğlu be able to defend himself?
The main question is whether İmamoğlu will be given the right to defend himself, the German public media notes, explaining that after 64 days of the trial so far, this issue remains open.
In July, the politician criticized that despite all the charges against him, his defense was limited in time. However, the judge did not give him the opportunity to continue speaking, noting that he refused to testify.
During this time, international interest in İmamoğlu's trial has been declining. The media in Turkey continues to write about him, but these are mostly small, regime-critical newspapers or platforms.
One of Imamoglu's lawyers urged the court to allow his defense, and the judge agreed. But he immediately emphasized - I will decide when and for how long, ARD writes.
According to Özgür Öcel, this is an incredible scandal. "The judge says he will ensure the right to defense - as if he is doing a charity. There is not even an attempt at a fair trial here." Öcel adds: "They are afraid that the defense will reveal the truth. That's all it is about".