Khaberni - The Turkish judiciary imprisoned Ali Kaya, the brother of Delik Imamoglu, the wife of Istanbul mayor and opposition presidential candidate Ekrem Imamoglu, along with 13 others, following February 4 raids for charges of "facilitating drugs" and "prostitution".
According to Turkish media, among those imprisoned are a businessman and social media celebrities, while 8 others were released under supervision.
Kaya denied the charges against him, dismissing them as "slander," and demanded forensic examinations to prove his innocence, expressing his outrage over media leaks that "destroyed his reputation," though the authorities rejected his request for tests on the grounds of being unnecessary.
Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul from the Republican People’s Party (the opposition), won the municipal elections in 2019 and 2024 against the candidates of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, making him the prime contender for the presidency in 2028.
However, he was imprisoned in March 2025, on charges of corruption and forging a university certificate, which sparked widespread protests in Istanbul and several other Turkish cities.
