28.01.2026 09:51
The second day of the trial of "Aziz İhsan Aktaş," which involves 200 defendants, including 7 mayors from the CHP, will begin with the defense of Adıyaman Deputy Mayor Ceyhan Kayhan. In yesterday's hearing, the court panel rejected the lawyers' requests, and Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who arrived at the courthouse with a security detail, stated, "I did not flee, I am here," as he exited through the judge-prosecutor door with his security personnel. Here are the events that took place in yesterday's hearing.
The second day of the first hearing of the "Aziz İhsan Aktaş criminal organization" case will be held today. Hearings will take place 5 days a week. It has been learned that the first defense will be made by the suspended detained defendant, Adıyaman Deputy Mayor Ceyhan Kayhan. After Kayhan, the defenses of the other defendants are expected to be taken.
The indictment alleges that a profit-oriented criminal organization led by Aziz İhsan Aktaş organized tender processes by bribing mayors, including detained Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, detained Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, detained Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin, detained Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, detained Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar, and Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, who was released and reinstated. In the indictment prepared regarding these allegations, 200 defendants appeared before the judge for the first time today.
From left to right: Rıza Akpolat, Abdurrahman Tutdere, Zeydan Karalar, Kadir Aydar, Oya Tekin, Ahmet Özer, Utku Caner Çaykara The 5 mayors who are detained are as follows:
Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, who was reinstated, and Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, who was suspended, are being tried without detention.
"I DID NOT FLEE, I AM HERE" Detained defendant Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who is named as the 'organization leader' in the indictment, arrived at the hearing with a security detail. Answering journalists' questions at the entrance of the courtroom, Aktaş said, "Justice is the foundation of property. Today, I will repeat what I said on the first day of justice. I did not flee, I am here."
After the hearing concluded, Aktaş exited through the judge-prosecutor door again with his security detail.
DEFENSE REQUEST FOR LACK OF JURISDICTION FROM DEFENDANTS In the hearing held at the Silivri Campus of the Marmara Penal Institutions by the Istanbul 1st Heavy Criminal Court, some detained and non-detained defendants and the parties' lawyers were present. The lawyers of Adıyaman Metropolitan Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, who conveyed their requests to the court, requested that a lack of jurisdiction decision be made in the file and that the case be heard in Adıyaman.
Aziz İhsan Aktaş's lawyer stated, "This case is the largest corruption case in history; if the case is separated, the decisions cannot be evaluated in separate courts. We request that the case be heard in this court without a lack of jurisdiction decision."
THE COURT REJECTED THE REQUEST FOR SEPARATION After a 1-hour break given for the evaluation of the lawyers' requests, the panel ruled to reject the requests of some defendants' lawyers regarding the separation of the file.
THEY REVEALED THEIR MONTHLY INCOMES During the identification of the detained defendants, the mayors were asked about their monthly incomes. The responses given by the mayors are as follows:
Aziz İhsan Aktaş: 250,000 TL, Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar: 100,000 TL, Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin: 150,000 TL, Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar: 360,000 TL, Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara: 130,000 TL. Former Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat stated that he currently has no monthly income as all his assets have been seized. Akpolat had previously stated that his monthly income was around 300,000-500,000 TL in a case he was tried for allegedly interfering in the CHP Provincial Presidency election on January 6.