10.03.2026 10:40
Tension began before the second session of the trial involving 402 defendants, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, related to İBB2. The tension escalated when the court clerk requested identification cards from the lawyers and claimed that only those listed in a pre-prepared list would be allowed inside. The lawyers protested by banging on the courtroom door. TBB President Erinç Sağkan, who spoke with the court panel, announced that the lawyers would be allowed inside, and entries into the courtroom began.
The second session of the "corruption" trial involving the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) and 402 defendants, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, begins today. In the case where 106 defendants are in custody, a prison sentence of up to 2,352 years is being sought for İmamoğlu. The hearings are expected to continue uninterrupted for approximately 45 days.
TENSION BEGAN BEFORE THE TRIAL STARTED
Before the second day of the trial began, tension arose in the courtroom. When the bailiff requested identification cards from the lawyers upon entering the courtroom, CHP lawyer deputies and the defendants' lawyers objected to the situation. A dispute broke out between the bailiff and the lawyers during this time.
PROTEST FROM LAWYERS
The claim that the court panel planned to allow a limited number of lawyers into the courtroom escalated the debate. It was suggested that lawyers would only be allowed in according to a pre-prepared list. Following the crisis, the President of the Turkish Bar Association (TBB), Erinç Sağkan, intervened to meet with the court panel. According to reports from Engin Deniz İpek of Cumhuriyet; the detained lawyers protested the application. The lawyers expressed their reactions by banging on the doors of the courtroom.
After the discussions, TBB President Erinç Sağkan announced that there would be no identity checks and that the defendants' lawyers would be allowed in first, followed by other lawyers. Following this announcement, the lawyers were allowed into the courtroom.
SUMMARY OF THE 4,000-PAGE INDICTMENT WILL BE READ
In today's hearing, it is expected that a summary of the indictment, which consists of approximately 4,000 pages, will be read. After that, the identification procedures for the detained defendants will begin, and their defenses will be taken.
TENSION OCCURRED ON THE FIRST HEARING
On the first day of the trial, tense moments were experienced in the courtroom. The head of the court panel requested the audience to leave the room. However, as CHP Chairman Özgür Özel and other party members present in the courtroom did not leave, the process turned into a debate.
After a meeting with CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik, the panel allowed the audience to remain in the courtroom, reversing its decision.
AN INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN INITIATED AGAINST ÖZGÜR ÖZEL
After the hearing, CHP leader Özgür Özel harshly criticized the court panel. Özel emphasized that the total seniority of the three judges on the panel was 11 years, and he made criticisms regarding the scope of the case. Özel stated, "They are showing their inexperience. The person who will emerge from the world's most complicated indictment, which has a 4,000-page indictment and a request for 2,400 years of punishment, cannot even find the door of the court out of excitement."
Following these statements, the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation against Özel on the grounds of insulting the court panel.
İMAMOĞLU: YOU ARE EVEN AFRAID TO GIVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK
Ekrem İmamoğlu reacted to not being given the floor in the previous hearing. In a statement addressed to the court panel, İmamoğlu requested the right to speak and expressed his criticisms regarding the trial process. İmamoğlu said, "You are even afraid to give the right to speak. You cannot ignore it; starting tomorrow, you will give the right to speak. You are doing a disservice. You are doing a disservice to the great Turkish judiciary."
HEARINGS WILL CONTINUE FOR 45 DAYS
The court panel plans for the first session of the trial to continue uninterrupted for 45 days, excluding weekends and Fridays. Within the program, it is anticipated that the hearings will be suspended only on March 20, the first day of Ramadan Feast, due to the open visitation rights of detainees and convicts. It was stated that no definite plan has yet been made for the day before the feast.
According to the court schedule, the hearings are planned to start every day at 10:00 AM and continue until 5:00 PM.