The trial of Aziz İhsan Aktaş, a businessman and witness in cases targeting numerous Turkish opposition politicians, began Tuesday (January 27) at the Silivri Prison on the western edges of Istanbul. Here’s what you need to know about the trial.
Written by Leo Kendrick
Aktaş is a key witness in numerous legal cases currently targeting opposition politicians belonging to Turkey’s Republican People’s Party (CHP). Aktaş, who has entered a plea deal and is cooperating with authorities, is alleged to have used bribes to organize the corrupt procurement of lucrative tenders from numerous opposition controlled municipalities across Turkey.
Extra security precautions have been requested for the area immediately surrounding the hearing room at Silivri, following protests at the same location last week after a court rejected an appeal filed by imprisoned İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu to have his university diploma annulment overturned.
22 individuals being charged in the trial of businessman Aziz İhsan Aktaş case who are residing outside of Istanbul will not be joining Tuesday’s hearing at Silivri, according to an announcement by an Istanbul court hours before the case was set to begin.
Opposition members decry unfair judicial proceedings
A lawyer representing removed Esenyurt district mayor Ahmet Özer, who is also being tried in the Aktaş case, spoke to Medyascope ahead of Tuesday’s hearing.
Lawyer Hüseyin Ersöz alleged unfair judicial proceedings, saying: “We can already foresee interventions that could cast a shadow on the right to a fair trial.”
Ersöz’s client, a member of the CHP, was arrested in October 2024 over alleged ties to the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK). Özer’s arrest was the first in a long list of cases targeting the CHP.
Although Özer’s original arrest centered on allegations of PKK connections, the Esenyurt district mayor’s involvement in Tuesday’s hearing relates to his alleged participation in Aktaş’s tender bribery scheme.
Case targets long list of CHP politicians
Other defendants in the Aktaş case include imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul-Beşiktaş district mayor Rıza Akpolat, Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar, Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, Istanbul-Avcılar district mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, Adana-Ceyhan district mayor Kadir Aydar, and Mersin-Seyhan district mayor Oya Tekin.
Akpolat, who has been imprisoned since his arrest a year ago, faces up to 415 years in prison according to the indictment. Karalar, Tutdere, Tekin, and Aydar each face up to 12 years.
AKP-controlled municipalities and central government institutions notably absent from indictment
Aktaş’s company, known as ‘Bilginay’, provided a variety of services to government institutions including maintenance and repair, vehicle rental, logistics, and supply of personnel.
While Tuesday’s case centers on the procurement of contract tenders between Aktaş and opposition officials, records show that companies and individuals associated with Aktaş and mentioned in the indictment also secured contracts in municipalities controlled by Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), such as Gaziantep and Kütahya, as well as with central government institutions such as the Turkish Parliament, Supreme Court, and Turkey’s State Airports Authority.
The absence of AKP municipal or central government officials has been highlighted by many who believe the Aktaş case to be a targeted attempt to handicap Turkey’s largest opposition party. Aktaş’s plea deal and cooperation with investigators has led to 47 arrests, including five opposition mayors.
