14.05.2026 19:10
In the trial concerning the Aziz İhsan Aktaş criminal organization, where 200 defendants, including 11 detainees and 7 mayors—6 of whom have been suspended—are being tried, the court ordered the release of detained Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Alı Rıza Yılmaz, Rıza Akpolat's brother-in-law Burak Kangal, his wife's brother Kazım Gökhan Yankılıç, and his friend Rabil Artan. The hearing was adjourned until June 15 to allow the defendants to prepare their defenses against the opinion on the merits.
The 31st hearing of the case involving 200 defendants, 11 of whom are in custody, including 7 mayors (6 of whom have been suspended), related to the Aziz İhsan Aktaş criminal organization, was held in Courtroom No. 3 opposite the Marmara Penal Execution Institution in Silivri.
RELEASE OF 4 DEFENDANTS
After the Prosecutor presented their opinion on the merits, the statements of the detained defendants' lawyers regarding the detention were taken. Following a recess in the hearing, the Presiding Judge announced the interim decision on the detention status of the defendants. The panel decided to release detained defendants Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Alı Rıza Yılmaz, Rıza Akpolat's brother-in-law Burak Kangal, Rıza Akpolat's brother-in-law Kazım Gökhan Yankılıç, and Rıza Akpolat's friend Rabil Artan.
COMPLAINANTS' PARTICIPATION REQUEST ACCEPTED
The court panel accepted the participation requests of the complainants, citing the possibility of being harmed by the crime, and decided to add them to the case file as "participants." The court also ordered a letter to be sent to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for the submission of the original documents concerning the allegation of "forgery in an official document."
Regarding the blocks on personal accounts, it was decided to lift the blocks on accounts for which no confiscation request was made, while the measures concerning accounts subject to confiscation requests would continue.
The defendants' requests to be exempted from attending hearings were rejected, considering that the opinion on the merits had been submitted and the stage of the proceedings.
The panel decided that all non-detained defendants must be present at the hearings where defenses against the opinion on the merits will be taken. The decision warned that if they fail to attend, measures such as forced appearance, arrest, judicial control, or detention may be applied.
It was decided that requests to lift measures on seized items and companies concerning detained defendants would be evaluated at the verdict stage. The court lifted the judicial control measures in the form of a signature obligation, while ordering the continuation of judicial controls in the form of a ban on leaving the residence and a ban on traveling abroad.
The hearing was adjourned until June 15 to allow defendants to prepare their defenses against the opinion on the merits. The court panel stated its intention to continue the proceedings without interruption after this date. Following the completion of the defendants' defenses against the opinion on the merits, the court panel is expected to announce its decision.
OPINION ON THE MERITS
In the public prosecutor's opinion on the merits, it was requested that non-detained defendant Aziz İhsan Aktaş be sentenced for "establishing an organization to commit a crime," 29 counts of "tender rigging," 19 counts of "forgery in a private document," 4 counts of "forgery in an official document," 3 counts of "bribery," and 3 counts of "fraud in the performance of an obligation"; and that non-detained defendant Baki Nugay be sentenced for "establishing an organization to commit a crime," 30 counts of "tender rigging," 19 counts of "forgery in a private document," 4 counts of "forgery in an official document," 7 counts of "bribery," 3 counts of "fraud in the performance of an obligation," and "laundering of assets derived from crime." The opinion requested that effective remorse provisions be applied to these defendants due to the information they provided to the prosecution regarding bribery activities.
It was requested that detained Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat be punished for "tender rigging," "forgery in a private document," "forgery in an official document," "qualified fraud," "bribery," "laundering of assets derived from crime," and "unlawful acquisition, concealment, or transfer of assets"; detained Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Ali Rıza Yılmaz for "tender rigging," "forgery in a private document," "forgery in an official document," and "qualified fraud"; and non-detained defendant Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Alican Abacı for "tender rigging," "forgery in a private document," "forgery in an official document," "qualified fraud," and "bribery."
In the opinion, it was stated that Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar, Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, detained Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin, and her husband Celal Tekin should be punished for "bribery," while Ahmet Özer, who was suspended from his duty as Esenyurt Mayor, should be punished for "misconduct through negligence."
It was requested that suspended Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara be acquitted of the charge of "preventing, abducting, or detaining the movement of transport vehicles" and punished for "bribery."
In the opinion on the merits, it was requested that detained Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Ali Rıza Yılmaz and non-detained defendants Gülal Erdovan Anıl, Gülşah Ocak, and Zafer Ozan Ay be separately acquitted, as no evidence could be obtained that they knowingly and willingly assisted the criminal organization.
In the opinion, it was requested that the detention of suspended defendants Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, Utku Caner Çaykara, Oya Tekin, Celal Tekin, Ceyhan Kayhan, Erhan Daka, and Özcan Zenger be continued, and that detained defendants Ali Rıza Yılmaz, Burak Kangal, Kazım Gökhan Yankılıç, and Rabil Artan be released.