# Ekrem Imamoglu's defence opens hours after the Halk TV raid

Date: 2026

Jailed Istanbul mayor [Ekrem Imamoglu](/people/ekrem-imamoglu), President [Recep Tayyip Erdogan](/people/recep-tayyip-erdogan)'s most prominent political rival, was due to [begin](/people/benny-begin) his defence on 14 October 2026 in a sprawling corruption trial involving roughly 400 defendants. The session came only hours after police raided opposition-leaning broadcaster Halk TV and a state trustee took control of the channel. The opposition describes the case against Imamoglu as politically driven; the authorities present it as anti-corruption enforcement. No published evidence links the timing of the Halk TV raid to the trial, but the seizure removed independent control of a channel that covers the case closely.

## Sources

- https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/14/turkish-police-take-pro-opposition-channel-halk-tv-off-air-and-arrest-11-in-istanbul-raid

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/imamoglu-defence-opens-2026-10-14