11.11.2026 14:50
The case in which 12 defendants, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, Özgür Çelik, and Rıza Akpolat, are being tried on allegations of irregularities at CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress was adjourned to November 18. At the hearing on October 21 at Ankara 26th Criminal Court of First Instance, the prosecutor, who presented his opinion, requested that 9 defendants be sentenced to between 1 and 3 years each for the offense of “fraud in voting,” and that 3 defendants, including Cemil Tugay, be acquitted.
A verdict was awaited in the criminal case concerning the CHP's 38th Congress, at which Özgür Özel was elected chairman, but the court postponed the hearing to one week later. The same congress had previously been declared invalid by an “absolute nullity” ruling issued in the civil case.
ERKAN AYDIN MADE A DEFENSE AT THE HEARING
At the hearing, which began at 10:00 at the Ankara 26th Criminal Court of First Instance, defendant Erkan Aydın, Mayor of Bursa Osmangazi, made his defense. It was learned that the other defendants did not attend the hearing, and some lawyers reported excuses. The court postponed the case to November 18 at the hearing, where the defendants' lawyers were expected to present their defenses against the prosecution's opinion.
12 DEFENDANTS ON TRIAL
In the case, 12 defendants are being tried, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was removed from his post as Mayor of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, as well as Özgür Çelik, Rıza Akpolat, and İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay. In the indictment prepared by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the defendants are sought to be sentenced to imprisonment from 1 year to 3 years each for the crime of “fraud in voting.” In the indictment, CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is listed as the victim, and former Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Lütfü Savaş as the complainant.
ALLEGATIONS IN THE INDICTMENT
The indictment alleged that at the 38th Ordinary Congress held on November 4-5, 2023, money was given to some delegates to vote in favor of Özgür Özel, candidacies for mayoralty and municipal council membership were promised, and jobs were offered in CHP-run municipalities. The prosecution claimed that the delegates' will was thus corrupted.
IN THE OPINION, IMPRISONMENT SOUGHT FOR 9 DEFENDANTS AND ACQUITTAL FOR 3
At the October 21 hearing, the prosecutor, who presented his opinion on the merits, alleged that Baki Aydöner, Ekrem İmamoğlu, Erkan Aydın, Mehmet Kılınçarslan, Metin Güzelkaya, Nihat Yeşiltaş, Özgür Çelik, Rıza Akpolat, and Serhat Can Eş committed the crime by acting in unity of thought and action. The prosecutor requested that these 9 defendants be sentenced to imprisonment from 1 to 3 years each. The opinion alleged that tablets and phones were distributed to some delegates on the day of the congress, while cash was given to others before the congress and, in return, a photograph of the ballot paper was requested.
The prosecutor requested the acquittal of Cemil Tugay, Hüseyin Yaşar, and Özgen Nama on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence showing they participated in the crime.
DEFENSE: THERE IS NO CONCRETE INCIDENT
İmamoğlu's lawyer Çağlar Çağlayan argued at the previous hearing that the witness statements were not based on eyewitness observation and claimed there was no concrete incident. One of the witnesses heard at the hearing, Emirhan Akçadağ, stated that he heard offers of financial benefits discussed in the congress hall but did not remember who said them. Some other witnesses rejected the allegations and stated that they had not witnessed any irregularity.
AN “ABSOLUTE NULLITY” RULING HAD BEEN ISSUED IN THE CIVIL CASE
In the civil case concerning the same congress, the 36th Civil Chamber of the Ankara Regional Court of Justice issued an “absolute nullity” ruling on May 21, 2026, regarding the 38th Ordinary Congress. With the ruling, Özgür Özel was removed from the office of chairman, and former Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and the boards of that period were reinstated.
KILIÇDAROĞLU'S ADMINISTRATION WAIVED THE APPEAL
On May 22, Özgür Özel applied to the Court of Cassation to appeal the ruling. Özel and those with him later resigned from the CHP and founded the YENİ Party. The Kılıçdaroğlu administration announced on September 14 that it had waived the appeal application made on behalf of the CHP. CHP spokesperson Müslim Sarı had stated that a lengthy appeal review could delay the party's congress process.