A Turkish court on Monday postponed a hearing in the corruption trial involving Istanbul Mayor after a dispute in the courtroom escalated at the start of the second week of proceedings.
The trial, which began last week and involves more than 400 defendants, has been repeatedly interrupted by tensions between lawyers, politicians and court officials.
İmamoğlu, a senior figure in the main opposition (CHP), has been jailed pending trial since March 2025. Several other mayors from the party are also among the accused.
The session on Monday was adjourned after CHP lawmaker refused to leave a section of the courtroom reserved for lawyers despite not representing any defendant in the case.
Özer said he had the right to remain in the area as a licensed attorney, while the presiding judge instructed him to observe the hearing from the public gallery.
The disagreement quickly escalated as other lawyers joined the argument. The judge said the court was already struggling to manage the large number of detainees and defendants.
“Every morning we start with a problem. We have numerous detainees and are trying to hear the defenses. We cannot continue like this every day,” the judge said, according to local media reports.
When Özer refused to move, the court postponed the hearing until March 17 without formally opening the session.
Earlier, the court also ruled that only accredited journalists would be allowed to enter the courtroom after disputes with members of the media.
The CHP says the charges against İmamoğlu and other opposition mayors are politically motivated. The party previously nominated İmamoğlu as its candidate for the next presidential election, and supporters say the investigations are aimed at weakening a popular opposition figure.
The trial is expected to last more than six weeks due to the large number of defendants and witnesses.