Aziz İhsan Aktaş trial adjourned until tomorrow

The trial of the Aziz İhsan Aktaş criminal organization, which began yesterday (January 27), will continue today.

While Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who is named as the 'leader of the criminal organization' in the indictment, is being tried without arrest, 200 people, including 40 who are in custody and 7 CHP mayors—6 of whom have been suspended from duty—are on trial.

The hearing, presided over by the Istanbul 1st High Criminal Court at the No. 1 courtroom in Silivri Prison, will continue with the defense of Adıyaman Deputy Mayor Ceyhan Kayhan.

ÖZGÜR ÖZEL IS ALSO FOLLOWING THE TRIAL

The second day of the trial was attended by CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, along with CHP Deputy Chairmen Gül Çiftçi Binici and Gökan Zeybek, Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik, members of parliament, and numerous party members.

Aktaş, who arrived at the courtroom yesterday with a large security detail, took his place in the hall again today.

“SO MANY LIES HAVE BEEN TOLD IN THE FILE”

Adıyaman Deputy Mayor Ceyhan Kayhan gave the first defense in the case. Kayhan stated the following in summary:

“I have worked in many municipalities throughout my life.

With 20 years of municipal experience, I started working at the Adıyaman Municipality to work with Abdurrahman Tutdere after I was not nominated as a candidate from Karabağ in 2024. I thought I would be useful after the earthquake.

The money exchange between a friend I have known for years (Savaş?) and me was turned into a bribery exchange through slander.

I went to the municipality on the morning of July 5 after the police called me; I was taken into custody by going of my own volition.

He called me on the morning of July 4 and asked for help regarding lawyer fees for a friend of ours who was arrested in İzmir.

If I had given a bribe, he would have returned the money; however, he took that money upon returning.

So many lies have been told in the file…”

“CAN THERE BE A BRIBE ON CREDIT”

The defense of Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar began. Aydar said: “I was elected Mayor of Ceyhan in March 2024. Aziz İhsan Aktaş and his relatives have not received any tenders from the municipalities, nor has there been any continuation of tenders made before my term. There is no tender that Aziz İhsan Aktaş and his relatives received during my term after I was elected mayor in 2024, and no ongoing tender has been renewed.

Payments made to the companies of İhsan Aktaş and his relatives were carried out in accordance with the procedure. Specifically, payments owed to other companies by the municipality were also paid on the same dates. The payments made to the companies of Aktaş and his relatives are not special or privileged payments. Other companies with receivables from the municipality also received their payments in the same way.

Aktaş claims that he gave a bribe by saying that he bought an apartment worth 4 million TL for 20 million TL. However, on July 25–26, when Aktaş claims he was negotiating the house with my father, the total receivable of his relatives' companies from the municipality was only 1.5 million TL. In August, when the title deed was received, the receivable amount was still 1.5 million TL.

Aziz İhsan Aktaş claims that he gave 300 thousand dollars in November. At that date, his companies did not have a single penny of receivables from the municipality. Would a person pay 20 million TL for a 1.5 million TL receivable? Would they give 300 thousand dollars for the collection of a company that has no receivables in November? Is a bribe for a payment made in July paid four months later? In other words, can there be a bribe on credit?

As a result of the research conducted by the prosecutor's office, as stated in the indictment, it was determined that the value of one apartment was 7.5 million TL. Again, according to the valuation made by the prosecutor's office, the total value of these two apartments was determined to be 15 million TL. These apartments consist of two independent units, which have been combined into a single apartment, and are extremely luxurious, custom-designed, and fully furnished apartments.

These apartments, which the prosecutor's office even stated in its indictment as having a total value of 15 million TL in their bare state, were sold by my father to Aziz İhsan Aktaş in their fully furnished and custom-designed state for a price of 15–16 million TL. Aziz İhsan Aktaş, on the other hand, said in his statement that he bought these apartments for 20 million TL. He claims that he paid this 20 million TL as 4 million TL in the title deed, and additionally 6 million TL and 300 thousand dollars.”

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FIRST HEARING?

Aziz İhsan Aktaş had come to the hearing held yesterday with an army of bodyguards. Aktaş's lawyer had said, "He did not enter with an army of bodyguards. These are the protections provided by the state due to an assassination attempt. This is the defamation of some journalists and individuals."

Speaking in front of the courthouse before the hearing, Aktaş had used the expressions, “Justice is the foundation of property. Whatever I said on the first day, I am saying the same thing today. I did not run away, I am here.”

The court board unanimously rejected the applications of the defense lawyers regarding “opening the trial records to the press, objections to authority and duty, and the separation of the file.” Aktaş had declared his monthly income as 250 thousand TL in his income statement.

The first sessions of the case are expected to last about a month and continue until February 20.

REQUESTED SENTENCES

In the 578-page indictment, Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, who is in custody, faces a prison sentence of 133 to 337 years on charges of “being a member of a criminal organization,” “rigging a tender,” “forgery of official documents,” “forgery of private documents,” “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations,” “taking bribes,” “laundering assets derived from crime,” and “unjust acquisition of property.”

Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, who is in custody, faces 5 to 15 years in prison on charges of “rigging a tender” and “taking bribes,” while Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, who was released, faces 3 to 9 years in prison on charges of “rigging a tender” and “forgery of private documents.” Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin, Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar, who are in custody, and Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, who was released and reinstated, face 4 to 12 years in prison each for the crime of “taking bribes.”

While 5 mayors accused of various crimes in the indictment are being held in prison, Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who is alleged to be the “leader of the criminal organization” and faces up to 450 years in prison, is being tried without arrest.

ADJOURNED UNTIL TOMORROW

The Aziz İhsan Aktaş criminal organization trial has been adjourned until tomorrow. It was announced that the hearing would also be held closed to spectators. Later, this decision was reversed.

News Source: İHA