05.02.2026 18:47
The case of "Saint İhsan Aktaş criminal organization" continues on its seventh day. In the hearing, the prosecutor, who presented the interim opinion, requested the continuation of the detention of 30 defendants, while asking for the release of Esenyurt Deputy Mayor İbrahim Halil Çalış, Avcılar Municipality Support Services Directorate Purchasing Chief İbrahim Koçyiğit, and ISFALT tender commission financial member Oktay Aktaş.
The trial of the 'Aziz İhsan Aktaş criminal organization', which is alleged to have organized tender processes by bribing mayors and is claimed to be led by Aziz İhsan Aktaş, continues on its 7th day. The trial is being held in courtroom number 1, located across from the Marmara Closed Penal Institution, due to the insufficient capacity of the Istanbul 1st Heavy Penal Court.
After their arrests, the mayors who were suspended from their duties, including Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin, Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar, Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, along with other detained defendants, non-detained defendants, and attorneys for the parties were present in the courtroom. In the first week of the trial, detained defendants, including Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin, Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar, and Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, made their defenses. The 7th day of the trial, held at the Marmara Penal Institutions campus in Silivri, has begun.
REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF 3 DETAINED DEFENDANTS
The trial began with the prosecutor evaluating the detention status of the detained defendants. In the prosecutor's opinion, it was requested that the release of the detained defendants, Esenyurt Deputy Mayor İbrahim Halil Çalış, Avcılar Municipality Support Services Directorate Purchasing Chief İbrahim Koçyiğit, and ISFALT tender commission financial member Oktay Aktaş, be decided with judicial control obligations, while for the other defendants, it was requested that their detention status continue due to the nature and characteristics of the crimes attributed to them, the existing evidence situation, and the presence of strong evidence indicating that they committed the crimes.
"NO SOLID INFORMATION OR DOCUMENTS REGARDING TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE"
The lawyer of Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin stated that there is no information, document, or evidence in the file that shows any suspicion of escape related to his client, and that there is also no information or document regarding any concrete action reflected in the file aimed at tampering with evidence.
"MY CLIENT SPENT FAMILY YEAR AWAY FROM HIS FAMILY, IN PRISON"
Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin's lawyer Enver Baltürk said, "When we look at the indictment, the actions of the majority of the defendants are singular, and the actions of the 30 people for whom the continuation of detention is requested are also singular. 2025 is the Family Year. My client and his spouse have spent many months of the Family Year away from their family in prison. I want to read what is stated in the indictment regarding Aziz İhsan Aktaş. Effective remorse cannot be applied during the investigation phase under the organization accusation. I think there is an injustice here. The indictment claims that my client went to Aziz İhsan Aktaş in 2019 and made a contract for entitlement, but it is not clear who prepared the agreement or who made it. My client has not even had a phone conversation with Aziz İhsan Aktaş. During my client's term as mayor, he did not participate in any tenders of Aziz İhsan Aktaş and did not receive any payments," he said.
The presiding judge noted that the lawyers' statements were taking too long and asked the lawyers if a 10-minute limit could be imposed. After the lawyers opposed this, the judge said, "Maybe those who will be released today will be released tomorrow. We have taken the statements of the lawyers of 4 detainees. There are 29 more. At this rate, it won't even finish tomorrow. I leave it to your conscience. I am not imposing a time limit."