A court in Istanbul ordered the release of eight defendants in a corruption case tied to Istanbul’s opposition-run municipality, including the lawyer of jailed mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The decision came on Nov. 12 as the third round of hearings closed. Hearings had resumed on Nov. 2 inside the Silivri prison complex, where judges heard testimony from 60 witnesses, complainants, and anonymous witnesses. Alongside the mayor’s lawyer, several senior executives from municipal subsidiaries responsible for media and cultural affairs were among those ordered freed. During the proceedings, the court requested the presence of four anonymous witnesses identified by the code names “İlke,” “Zeytin,” “Martı” and “Gürgen.” Two of them, “Gürgen” and “Zeytin,” testified at the Nov. 4 hearing, while the other two were not brought before the court. When questioned about bribery allegations, the anonymous witness “Gürgen” said he had not witnessed anything himself, explaining that he was reporting what “people have been saying.” He told the court he learned about the allegations from “somewhere.” “Zeytin” told the court he had no direct knowledge of allegations involving zoning and tender processes, and said he did not personally know the individuals whose names appeared in his testimony. Main opposition New Party leader Özgür Özel said in December 2025 that the anonymous witness code-named “İlke” had formally retracted prior statements and relinquished protected-witness status shortly after testifying. The next hearing session is scheduled for Jan. 4, 2027. The jailed mayor, a prominent figure in the New Party, has been in custody for more than a year over corruption allegations. The detention has been accompanied by a broader crackdown on opposition-run municipalities, with opposition mayors and senior municipal officials also taken into custody over the past year and a half.