Turkish prosecutors add charges of forging diploma against jailed Istanbul mayor

Turkish prosecutors charged Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Friday with falsifying his university diploma, a new case threatening more years in prison for President Tayyip Erdogan's main rival, already jailed pending corruption charges he denies. (Reuters/File)
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Updated 04 July 2025
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Turkish prosecutors add charges of forging diploma against jailed Istanbul mayor

  • Imamoglu denies the allegations against him, which his party says are orchestrated to protect Erdogan in power
  • His indictment over his diploma was reported by Milliyet newspaper

ANKARA: Turkish prosecutors charged Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Friday with falsifying his university diploma, a new case threatening more years in prison for President Tayyip Erdogan’s main rival, already jailed pending corruption charges he denies.

Imamoglu, at the center of a sprawling legal crackdown on the main opposition party, has been jailed since March 23 pending trial. He denies the allegations against him, which his party says are orchestrated to protect Erdogan in power.

His indictment over his diploma was reported by Milliyet newspaper, which said prosecutors were seeking eight years and nine months of prison time for the new charges. Reuters could not immediately obtain the document.

On March 18, Istanbul University said it had annulled Imamoglu’s diploma. He was detained a day later on the corruption charges, triggering Turkiye’s largest protests in a decade, and later jailed pending trial.

His detention has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties and some foreign leaders, who call the case politically motivated and anti-democratic. The government denies the case is political.

Imamoglu is the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s presidential candidate in any future election. He won re-election as mayor in March last year by a wide margin against a candidate from Erdogan’s ruling AK Party.


IMF approves reviews, unlocks $240m in funding for Jordan

Updated 55 min 38 sec ago
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IMF approves reviews, unlocks $240m in funding for Jordan

  • The decision allows Jordan to draw about $130 million under the EFF and about $110 million under the RSF

AMMAN: The International Monetary Fund’s executive board has completed the fourth review of Jordan’s Extended Fund Facility and the first review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility, unlocking immediate access to about $240 million to support the kingdom’s economic program.

The decision allows Jordan to draw about $130 million under the EFF and about $110 million under the RSF, bringing total disbursements under the IMF arrangement to about $733 million.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the IMF said Jordan’s economy “remains resilient,” supported by sound macroeconomic policies and strong international backing.

Growth accelerated to 2.7 percent in the first half of 2025 and is expected to reach about 3 percent in the coming years, driven by major investment projects, deeper regional integration and continued structural reforms.

Inflation remains anchored at about 2 percent, while the current account deficit is projected to narrow to below 5 percent of GDP over the medium term. The IMF also noted that Jordan’s banking sector is stable and international reserves remain strong.

Fiscal performance continues to align with program targets, underpinned by robust revenue collection and disciplined current spending. The authorities remain committed to reducing public debt to 80 percent of GDP by 2028 through gradual fiscal consolidation, while protecting social and development spending and reducing losses at public utilities.

The IMF said progress under the RSF is ongoing, with reforms addressing vulnerabilities in the water and electricity sectors and strengthening health emergency preparedness. All reform measures scheduled for the current review have been completed.

Commenting after the board discussion, IMF Deputy Managing Director Kenji Okamura said Jordan’s continued macroeconomic stability amid persistent external headwinds reflects the authorities’ commitment to sound policies, supported by strong international assistance.

He said growth continues to recover, inflation remains low and reserve buffers are strong, stressing the importance of maintaining prudent fiscal and monetary policies amid regional tensions and global uncertainty.

Okamura added that accelerated structural reforms are essential to foster job-rich growth, improve the business environment, enhance labour market flexibility, tackle youth unemployment and low female labour force participation, and attract private investment.

He also underlined the importance of sustained donor support to help Jordan manage external challenges and the economic cost of hosting large numbers of refugees, while noting that progress under the RSF would help address long-term vulnerabilities and strengthen balance-of-payments stability.