The sixth hearing of the trial in which Barış Pehlivan, Seda Selek, Serhan Asker, Suat Toktaş, and Kürşad Oğuz are charged with “recording and publishing private conversations between individuals” was held on February 13 at the Istanbul 54th Criminal Court of First Instance. The case was brought due to the publication of a telephone conversation with expert witness Satılmış Büyükcanayakın, who was announced by Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The court heard the complainant Büyükcanayakın, who had not been heard for four sessions, at an interim hearing on January 21. The court did not notify the defendants and their lawyers of the interim hearing. The defendants’ lawyers requested the judge’s recusal, stating that their right to question the complainant had been obstructed. The court referred the request for recusal to the duty criminal court for review of the case file and adjourned the next hearing to June 12, 2026.
February 13, 2026
MLSA