Politics & Diplomacy
Murat Gülibrahimoğlu, fugitive in the Istanbul municipality probe, arrested in Greece; Ankara seeks his extradition
Turkish media report that businessman Murat Gülibrahimoğlu, one of eight fugitives in the corruption investigation into Istanbul’s metropolitan municipality, was arrested in Greece on October 2. Ankara has reportedly begun extradition proceedings; the decision rests with the Greek courts.
Turkish businessman Murat Gülibrahimoğlu, one of the fugitives in the large-scale corruption investigation into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, was arrested in Greece on October 2, according to Turkish media. The arrest was reported on October 9 and 10 by outlets including the pro-government Sabah and Milliyet, which write that Ankara has already set the extradition process in motion. The Greek authorities have not commented in the reports available to us.
According to Milliyet, the Turkish Justice Ministry acted after a ruling by the 33rd High Criminal Court of Istanbul, which asks the Greek authorities to hold him in provisional detention for 40 days and to extradite him to Turkey. The decision on extradition rests with the Greek judiciary, which examines such requests under Greek law and the country’s international commitments.
The charges
In the indictment, Gülibrahimoğlu is listed as a senior figure in the alleged criminal organisation. He faces charges of membership of a criminal organisation, laundering of proceeds of crime and violations of tax law. The Turkish authorities claim that he fled to London in March 2025, when an arrest warrant was issued against him. He was one of eight fugitives sought in the case.
The Turkish reports rely on testimony from co-defendants who are cooperating with the authorities. Businessman Sarp Yalçınkaya is reported to have testified that Gülibrahimoğlu travelled abroad on a private jet from 2022 to 2025 and that he had been told money was carried on those flights. Sabah puts the alleged loss at 180 billion lira. These are allegations of the prosecution that have not been tested in court, and Gülibrahimoğlu has not commented publicly.
The political dimension
The investigation into the Istanbul municipality is the largest case Turkish prosecutors have opened against the main opposition party. At its centre is Ekrem İmamoğlu, the city’s mayor and the CHP’s candidate for the presidency, who has been in detention since March 2025 and has been removed from office. The opposition and international organisations describe the prosecution as politically motivated, which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government rejects.
The case adds to the sensitive judicial files between Athens and Ankara. A few days ago, Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi asked Athens for extraditions and warned that Greece must not become a “haven for criminals”. Turkey has submitted extradition requests to Greece in the past as well, and the Greek authorities have examined them case by case.
