21.10.2026 12:12
In the case concerning allegations of irregularities at CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress, the prosecutor sought the punishment of 9 defendants, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, Özgür Çelik, and Rıza Akpolat. The prosecutor requested acquittal for Cemil Tugay, Hüseyin Yaşar, and Özgen Nama on the grounds that there is no concrete evidence that they participated in the offense.
In the criminal case concerning allegations of irregularities at the CHP's 38th Ordinary Congress, the trial prosecutor announced his final opinion on the merits.
PENALTY SOUGHT FOR 9 PEOPLE
The prosecutor, stating that it was established that Baki Aydöner, Ekrem İmamoğlu, Erkan Aydın, Mehmet Kılınçarslan, Metin Gülerkaya, Nihat Yeşiltaş, Özgür Çelik, Rıza Akpolat and Serhat Can Eş “acted in unity of thought and action and committed the alleged offense,” requested that the defendants be sentenced separately under Article 112 of the Political Parties Law and Articles 37/1 and 53/1 of the Turkish Penal Code.
ACQUITTAL SOUGHT FOR 3 PEOPLE, INCLUDING CEMİL TUGAY
It was requested that Cemil Tugay, Hüseyin Yaşar and Özgen Nama be acquitted on the grounds that, based on the available evidence, there was no concrete evidence that they participated in the alleged offense. After the prosecutor announced his opinion, the case, in which 12 defendants are being tried, was adjourned to November 11.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED?
On June 3, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office completed its investigation into the CHP's 38th Ordinary Congress held on November 4-5, 2023, under Article 112 of the Political Parties Law and other relevant legislative provisions, and prepared an indictment.
In the indictment, former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was included as a victim, and former Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Lütfü Savaş was included as a complainant.
The indictment, which indicated that the defendants acted together and committed the alleged offense, included the following:
“At the Republican People's Party 38th Ordinary Congress held at Ankara Sports Hall on November 4-5, 2023, they gave money to some congress delegates who voted, so that they would vote in favor of presidential candidate Özgür Özel; offered and promised some of them candidacy for mayoralty and municipal council membership in various provinces and districts; placed some delegates and their relatives in jobs at CHP municipalities and companies and subsidiaries affiliated with these municipalities; distributed large numbers of supermarket shopping cards to some delegates and their relatives; asked these delegates who voted at the congress to take photographs of the votes they cast with their mobile phones and send them to them; delayed the transition from the first round of voting to the second round in the congress hall and made false statements that Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu had withdrawn his candidacy; and in this way, by corrupting the will of the congress delegates, they carried out activities aimed at ensuring that presidential candidate Özgür Özel won the chairmanship election.”
The indictment, prepared seeking a prison sentence of one to three years for 12 defendants, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was removed from his position as Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay, on the charge of “mixing fraud into voting” regarding allegations that “votes were cast for money” at the CHP's 38th Ordinary Congress, was accepted by the Ankara 26th Criminal Court of First Instance.