10.03.2026 16:10
In the tense Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality trial, the defendants' statements began following Ekrem İmamoğlu's speech. Former CHP deputy Aykut Erdoğdu stated during the identification process that his monthly income was 150,000 TL. In his defense, Erdoğdu denied the accusations, saying, "Every day on television, they say 'He carried money in a bag.' Which bag? Show me one piece of evidence."
The investigation into 'corruption' against Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was removed from his position as the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and arrested, was completed, and an indictment of 3,809 pages was prepared on November 11, 2025. It was requested that Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is named as the 'organization leader', be sentenced to imprisonment ranging from 828 years and 2 months to 2,352 years for various crimes. While the trial was quite tense, the defendants began their defenses after Ekrem İmamoğlu's speech.
ALLEGATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE PROCEEDINGS
During the second half of the hearing, the defendant's lawyer Ali Rıza Dizdar, who spoke during procedural objections, claimed that some parts of the minutes prepared by the court were written by artificial intelligence. The presiding judge responded, "I don't even know how to use artificial intelligence."
INTERIM DECISION MAY BE MADE AT THE END OF APRIL
The presiding judge stated that the interim decision could be made towards the end of April.
"MY MONTHLY INCOME IS 150 THOUSAND TL"
Initially, the detained defendant, former CHP Member of Parliament Aykut Erdoğdu, made his defense. After his identity was established, Erdoğdu stated that his monthly income was 150 thousand lira.
"WHICH BAG WITH MONEY? SHOW ME ONE PIECE OF EVIDENCE"
Detained defendant Aykut Erdoğdu used the following statements in his defense:
"I have been alone in a cell for about 10 months. There is a 4,000-page indictment, and there are 1,000 pages of annexes. I am alone in that cell. Every day when I go out, I am searched down to my socks. They gave me an indictment that covered half of the cell. I read my section. Mr. President, you are making decisions on behalf of the Turkish nation, and I have great respect for the Turkish nation. Therefore, I have great respect for your committee as well. I cannot close the front of my jacket because I do not have a jacket. Let me briefly explain this. We live in such prison conditions. One aspect of the restriction of our right to defense is this. I was allowed to use the computer room for 2 hours a week. A total of 8 hours. What can I read, Mr. President? What should I read, which annex should I look at, which contract should I check, which claim should I examine? We came here, and we couldn't understand what was happening in the tension. Take this as an observation, not as an accusation. I understand, no one has seen or experienced such a trial. Now in the indictment, a person named Ertan Yıldız claimed that I took money and that the money was delivered to Fatih Keleş. You have four pieces of evidence. The first is Ertan Yıldız's statement, the second is Serkan Aydın's statement, the third is base records, and the fourth is a bank receipt. An indictment was prepared based on four pieces of evidence. Do you think this person said these things to get out of prison, or to help justice? An employee of a company withdrew some money. I don't know why he withdrew it. What does this have to do with me? The third is phone base records. Where is the phone base record? There is one phone base record at a hotel. That hotel is a city hotel where I have stayed and worked for 5 years, which I use as a kind of office. Where is the second base record? At the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, in Fatih. I am the Member of Parliament for that region, and I am the Deputy Chairman of that party. Mr. President, can a person be arrested with this evidence? I was arrested. Every day on television, it is said, 'He carried money in a bag.' Which bag with money? Show me one piece of evidence. Show me a photo of one bag. Who carries 1 million 250 thousand dollars to the Metropolitan Municipality building, where there are a thousand cameras, and where you have to go through X-ray? Would you believe this?"
"SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO GET OUT OF PRISON WRITES A 12-EPISODE SERIES"
In response to the presiding judge's question, "You said that Yıldız's statements are slander. What kind of enmity do you have with Ertan Yıldız?" Erdoğdu said, "Mr. President, someone who wants to get out of prison writes a 12-episode series. Everything is inconsistent. Supposedly, I will call, 'I will bring you money in a bag. Where are you?' I will come to a place where all the cameras are in the municipality, where most of the staff are from the AK Party, and where there are 30 guards, with 1 million 350 thousand dollars. Serkan Aydın is a fourth-degree cancer patient. He is already in his last days. I cannot question why he could say such a thing. What can I say for a sick person? I can say for Ertan; he said it to get out of prison; but I cannot say anything for him," he stated.