The trial of 10 defendants, including Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney, Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, and CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik, who were removed from office amid allegations of fraud in the CHP’s 39th Ordinary Istanbul Provincial Congress elections, began on January 6. At the hearing held at the Istanbul 72nd Criminal Court of First Instance, the defendants appeared before the judge facing charges of “rigging the vote” under the Political Parties Law, with a prison sentence of 1 to 3 years. The defendants and their lawyers denied the charges and requested acquittal. The court decided to play the audio recording related to the case during the hearing.
January 6, 2026
Independent Türkçe