A recent espionage investigation targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality revealed the alleged misuse of millions of Istanbul residents’ personal data, accusing the former administration led by then-Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of transferring the information abroad to Germany and the United States and offering it for sale online.

According to Türkiye daily, prosecutors detained four additional suspects as part of the widening probe into claims that the municipality’s "Istanbul Senin" ("Istanbul Is Yours") mobile application, used by millions of residents, enabled unauthorized access to user information. Investigators are examining whether portions of the data were exported to foreign servers and appeared for sale on dark-web marketplaces.

Questions over the municipality’s handling of digital information date back to 2019, when Imamoglu, shortly after taking office, authorized a team to review and copy the city’s electronic databases. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) challenged the move, arguing that it posed data-security risks. A court later suspended the authorization, yet investigators now claim that data replication continued despite the ruling. Preliminary findings suggest that data belonging to 4.7 million users—including address and geolocation details—may have been improperly accessed or transferred.

A recent espionage investigation targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality revealed the alleged misuse of millions of Istanbul residents’ personal data, accusing the former administration led by then-Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of transferring the information abroad to Germany and the United States and offering it for sale online.

According to Türkiye daily, prosecutors detained four additional suspects as part of the widening probe into claims that the municipality’s "Istanbul Senin" ("Istanbul Is Yours") mobile application, used by millions of residents, enabled unauthorized access to user information. Investigators are examining whether portions of the data were exported to foreign servers and appeared for sale on dark-web marketplaces.

Questions over the municipality’s handling of digital information date back to 2019, when Imamoglu, shortly after taking office, authorized a team to review and copy the city’s electronic databases. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) challenged the move, arguing that it posed data-security risks. A court later suspended the authorization, yet investigators now claim that data replication continued despite the ruling. Preliminary findings suggest that data belonging to 4.7 million users—including address and geolocation details—may have been improperly accessed or transferred.