27.01.2026 11:21
The trial of "Aziz İhsan Aktaş organized crime group" is starting. The defendant Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who is named as the "organization leader" in the indictment, arrived at the hearing with about 15 bodyguards. Aktaş, who made a brief speech at the entrance of the hall, said, "I did not come here to pose. Justice is the foundation of the property. As I said on the first day, I did not flee, I am here. I will repeat what I said."
The trial of the 'Aziz İhsan Aktaş criminal organization', which is alleged to have organized tender processes by bribing mayors and led by Aziz İhsan Aktaş, begins today. Among the 200 defendants, 40 of whom are in custody, are 7 mayors from the CHP who have been suspended from duty, and they will appear before the judge for the first time today.
While the hearing should take place at the 1st Heavy Criminal Court of Istanbul Courthouse, due to insufficient capacity of the courtroom, it will be held in courtroom number 1 located across from the Marmara Penal Institution.
AZIZ İHSAN AKTAŞ ARRIVED WITH HIS BODYGUARDS To follow the hearing, CHP Deputy Chairpersons Gül Çiftçi, Burhanettin Bulut, Sevgi Kılıç, CHP Ankara MP Umut Akdoğan, CHP Erzincan MP Mustafa Sarıgül, CHP MP Fethi Açıkel, CHP Şanlıurfa MP Mahmut Tanal, CHP PM member Tolga Sağ, CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik, and TBB Vice President Vahap Şener arrived in the courtroom.
Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who is named as the "organization leader" in the indictment, arrived at the courtroom with nearly 15 bodyguards. Responding to journalists' questions in front of the courtroom, Aktaş said, "I did not come here to pose. I am standing naturally. Justice is the foundation of property. Today, I will repeat what I said on the first day of justice. I did not flee; I am here."
FROM THE INDICTMENT In the 579-page indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Beşiktaş Municipality, Avcılar Municipality, Esenyurt Municipality, Istanbul ASFALT Factories Inc. and Istanbul Electric Tramway and Tunnel Operations General Directorate are listed as "victims of the crime", 19 individuals as "injured parties", and 200 individuals, 40 of whom are in custody, as "suspects".
The indictment states that suspect Aziz İhsan Aktaş is charged with "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime", "interfering with the tender" from 42 different acts, "interfering with the performance of the obligation" from 4 different acts, "forgery in official documents" from 5 different acts, "forgery in private documents" from 21 different acts, "fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations", "bribery" from 10 different acts, "laundering of assets derived from crime", and "issuing false invoices", with a request for imprisonment of 187 to 450 years and the confiscation of the assets obtained from the crime.
From left to right: Rıza Akpolat, Abdurrahman Tutdere, Zeydan Karalar, Kadir Aydar, Oya Tekin, Ahmet Özer, Utku Caner Çaykara In the indictment, it is requested that Utku Caner Çaykara, the suspect mayor of Avcılar who was suspended from duty after his arrest, be sentenced to 5 to 15 years in prison for "interfering with the tender" and "receiving bribes" from 2 different acts, and that Ahmet Özer, the suspended mayor of Esenyurt, be sentenced to 3 to 9 years in prison for "interfering with the tender" from 2 different acts and "forgery in private documents" from 2 different acts.
The indictment requests that Oya Tekin, the suspended mayor of Seyhan, Kadir Aydar, the mayor of Ceyhan, Zeydan Karalar, the mayor of Adana, and Abdurrahman Tutdere, the mayor of Adıyaman who was reinstated after the removal of judicial control, be sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison for "receiving bribes".
The prepared indictment requests that Rıza Akpolat, the suspended mayor of Beşiktaş, be sentenced to 133 to 337 years in prison for "being a member of a criminal organization", "interfering with the tender" from 26 different acts, "forgery in official documents" from 3 different acts, "forgery in private documents" from 19 different acts, "fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations", "receiving bribes" from 4 different acts, "laundering of assets derived from crime", and "unjust enrichment", and that the assets obtained from the crime be confiscated.