Istanbul 23rd High Criminal Court acquitted eight of 10 people tried on a charge of “membership in an armed terrorist organization” in connection with the “urban consensus” in the 31 March 2024 local elections, and sentenced two to six years and three months in prison each. The court sentenced Sancaktepe Municipal Council member Elif Gül and Beyoğlu Municipal Council member Turabi Şen. Those acquitted included Kartal Deputy Mayor Cemalettin Yüksel, Ataşehir Deputy Mayor Livan Gür, Fatih Municipal Council member Güzin Alpaslan, Tuzla Municipal Council member Hasan Özdemir, Adalar Municipal Council member Nesimi Aday, Şişli Municipal Council member Sinan Gökçe, and Üsküdar and İBB Council member Bülent Kayğun. Acting İBB Mayor Nuri Aslan also attended the hearing, in which the defendants who were not in detention and their lawyers participated.
7 October 2026
Karar