⚖️ Justice System and Everyday Life in Türkiye
Court of Cassation begins preliminary review of CHP “absolute nullity” ruling
The 3rd Civil Chamber of Turkey’s Court of Cassation has taken up for preliminary examination the ruling by the 36th Civil Chamber of the Ankara Regional Court of Appeal that declared the CHP’s congress “absolutely null”, suspended Özgür Özel and the party leadership from office as an interim measure, and handed control back to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and his administration. The appeal court had ruled on 21 May in the case seeking the annulment of the party’s 38th Ordinary Congress, held on 4–5 November 2023, and forwarded the file to the Court of Cassation after the parties lodged objections to its decision. The 3rd Civil Chamber has registered the case under a docket number and begun its preliminary review; if no deficiencies are found at this stage, it will proceed to examine the merits and deliver a final judgment on the question of absolute nullity, according to a report by Anadolu Agency.
İliç mine disaster: two defendants, including Canadian company executive, re-arrested
Two defendants in the case over the Çöpler Gold Mine disaster in the İliç district of Erzincan, who had been released under house arrest, have been sent back to prison after prosecutors’ objection was upheld. Iain Ronald Guille and Ali Rıza Kalender had been freed on 7 July by the Erzincan 1st Heavy Penal Court under judicial control measures, on condition that they not leave their homes, in the trial arising from the collapse of some 10 million cubic metres of cyanide-laden earth on 13 February 2024, which killed nine workers. Acting on an arrest warrant issued by the court for causing death by negligence, police traced Guille to a hotel in the Şişli district of Istanbul and detained him. The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office took the release decision to the higher Erzincan 2nd Heavy Penal Court, which, on reviewing the objection, ordered both men re-arrested, and Guille and Kalender were subsequently handed over to a penal institution by security forces. Following their release at the eighth hearing, the case — in which 43 defendants stand trial — had been left with no detained suspects.
İsias Hotel case: expert report finds public institutions 28 per cent at fault
An expert report submitted to the Adıyaman 2nd Administrative Court has apportioned a combined 28 per cent of the blame for the collapse of the Grand İsias Hotel in the 6 February 2023 earthquakes to public bodies — 20 per cent to Adıyaman Municipality, 6 per cent to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, and 2 per cent to the disaster management agency AFAD. The hotel, in the central district of Adıyaman, collapsed in the Kahramanmaraş-centred quakes, killing 72 people, among them students and tour guides from Northern Cyprus, and injuring ten. The report, prepared unanimously by a civil engineer, an urban and regional planner and a geological engineer, found the municipality at fault for failing to fully discharge its duties over zoning plans, design, implementation and inspection under the Construction Law; the ministry for inadequate oversight of planning and for issuing a building registration certificate; and AFAD for failing to take sufficient precautions despite the plots’ known proximity to active fault lines. The case was brought by the family of Ali Osman Aydın, a tour guide who survived the initial collapse but died on 7 February 2023, his relatives arguing that no official body came to his rescue in time and citing President Erdoğan’s 27 February 2023 request for “forgiveness” over delays in the first days of the response as evidence of inadequate coordination. The report was noted as capable of forming the basis for judgment in cases brought by other bereaved families without a fresh expert examination, though lawyers representing the families are reported to intend to appeal.
Illegal betting investigation in Mersin: detention orders for 80 people, transactions worth 20 billion lira uncovered
Turkey’s Justice Minister Akın Gürlek has announced that detention orders have been issued for 80 suspects in two separate investigations into illegal betting and the laundering of criminal proceeds, coordinated by the Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. In a statement on social media, the minister said transactions worth around 20 billion lira had been identified across the suspects’ bank, crypto-asset and payment institution accounts. Gürlek thanked the chief prosecutor’s offices in Istanbul, Erzurum and Mersin, along with the police and gendarmerie units involved, and framed the operations as part of the government’s determination — under President Erdoğan’s leadership and its stated goal of making the “Turkish Century” a “Century of Justice” — to hold to account those who misuse citizens’ charitable donations, to shed light on unsolved cases, and not to leave the futures of young people at the mercy of illegal betting and criminal organisations.
Justice Minister announces 13 fresh detentions in Ahbap investigation
Turkey’s Justice Minister Akın Gürlek has announced that a fourth wave of operations in the investigation into the Ahbap association has led to 13 further detentions, part of judicial proceedings against a total of 112 suspects across three separate inquiries in Istanbul, Erzurum and Mersin. The Ahbap investigation, framed by the minister as concerning an “Ahbaplar crime organisation”, is being pursued under four main headings: purchases of housing and containers, suspicious property transfers, cheques issued by the association, and the financial and commercial relationships among suspects. Officials from construction firms that allegedly received substantial sums from donations in 2023 to build housing but failed to complete it were among those detained, as were individuals connected to the transfer of 59 properties to a suspect named Yeliz Kaya, the endorsement of association cheques, and a person whose financial dealings with Ahbap chairman Haluk Levent were deemed suspicious. In a separate strand, the minister said the investigation into the disappearance of Gülistan Doku had prompted simultaneous operations across 15 provinces, with proceedings against 19 people and 18 detained in searches at 21 addresses, while the Mersin illegal betting inquiry had identified transactions worth around 20 billion lira. Gürlek thanked the prosecutors, police and gendarmerie involved and pledged to continue pursuing the misuse of donations, obstacles to solving unsolved cases, and illegal betting networks.
Başaran Holding owner Hüseyin Başaran detained in Ahbap investigation
Hüseyin Başaran, owner of Başaran Holding, has been detained as part of the ongoing investigation into the Ahbap association founded by musician Haluk Levent. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced that 13 suspects had been detained in an operation on Monday morning, saying the inquiry was examining purchases of housing and containers, suspicious property transfers, cheques issued by the association, and financial and commercial relationships in full. Proceedings have been launched against officials of construction firms that allegedly received substantial sums from donations in 2023 to build housing but failed to complete it, among them representatives of Azim Yol İnşaat, Pegas Global and Hamle İnşaat, as well as against the association’s purchasing manager, Deniz Şimşek, over his role in procurement and payment processes. Başaran’s detention is connected to the transfer of numerous properties to a suspect named Yeliz Kaya — 22 from Başaran Holding, 10 from Power İnşaat, 17 from Koçsu Yapı and 10 from Orhan İnan — with proceedings also opened against officials of those companies. Investigators are additionally scrutinising the circulation and collection of certain cheques issued by the association, with action taken against their last endorser, Sibel Kaya, and Mays Grup official Muhammed Ali Yılmaz.
🏛️ Politics
Cabinet meets at Beştepe today with critical items on the agenda
Turkey’s cabinet convenes at the Beştepe presidential complex today to address a range of pressing issues, with the economy high on the agenda. Ministers are expected to review recent market developments following the Central Bank’s decision to hold interest rates steady, and to weigh possible new steps to support price stability. The renewed tension between the United States and Iran is also set to be discussed in detail, particularly the potential impact of developments in the Strait of Hormuz on energy prices and the Turkish economy. The meeting is likewise expected to take up the diplomatic contacts between Turkey and the US around the NATO Summit, including the state of efforts to lift CAATSA sanctions and to secure delivery of F-35 fighter jets. Finally, ministers will review the fight against forest fires, which have increased over the summer months, examining the precautions taken, preparations in high-risk areas and the latest situation on the ground.
Trade Ministry tightens advertising rules: new era begins on 1 August
Turkey’s Ministry of Trade is bringing in sweeping changes to its regulation on commercial advertising and unfair commercial practices from 1 August, aimed at strengthening consumer protection against the rapid growth of digital advertising. Under the new rules, advertisers must clearly and accessibly explain the criteria behind targeted adverts and how users can change those preferences, while targeted advertising to children based on personal data is banned outright. Influencers will be required to label promotions made in return for payment, free products, discounts or any other benefit with the words “advertisement” or “promotion”, and adverts featuring AI-generated digital characters that are hard to distinguish from real people must be marked as such — with adverts depicting an AI-generated digital copy of a real person as though they had used or recommended a product prohibited altogether. In discount advertising, the “before” price may only reflect the lowest price applied in the ten days before the campaign, while for perishable goods such as fruit and vegetables and for services the comparison will be against the previous sale price. General environmental claims such as “eco-friendly” or “nature-friendly” will no longer be permitted unless backed by scientific or official documentation specifying which stage of production they cover. On consumer reviews, the time given to sellers to respond before a complaint is published has been cut from 72 hours to 48, unverifiable user comments may not be published, and where product, seller, delivery and service ratings are presented separately, all scores and comments must be shown together in an easily visible way. The regulation also widens the advertising ban on illegal betting and games of chance, retains the ban on adverts for services such as fortune-tellers, mediums and astrologers, and prohibits adverts implying that dietary supplements can replace normal nutrition.
🤝Ruling Government (AKP, MHP, CHP and DEM coalition aka People’s Alliance)
Investigation launched into ‘extras’ claims at CHP’s Sarıyer event
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into allegations that extras were brought in through a casting agency to attend a CHP membership enrolment ceremony. In a written statement, the office said the investigation was under way and that those complained of would be called to give statements once inquiries were complete. As part of the investigation, the identities of those who attended the event are expected to be established and any links to the casting agency at the centre of the claims examined, after which the individuals concerned are to be summoned to the prosecutor’s office to testify.
Faik Öztrak elected CHP group chairman
Faik Öztrak has been elected to the CHP’s group chairmanship, a post left vacant by Özgür Özel’s resignation from the party. Deputies cast their votes at a closed group meeting chaired by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, in which Öztrak stood against Gürsel Erol over two rounds. Erol led the first round with 19 votes to Öztrak’s 18, but the balance shifted in the second round, with Öztrak moving ahead on 21 votes to Erol’s 17. Erol then withdrew from the contest before a third round, leaving Öztrak to take over as the CHP’s new group chairman.
Bakırhan: framework law must leave out no one who wants to come to peace
DEM Party co-chair Tuncer Bakırhan has said his party expects the framework law drawn up as part of the peace process to be submitted to parliament this week, urging that it close its doors to no one who believes in and wishes to come to peace, and that it be a complete rather than a half law. Speaking at his party’s Mersin provincial congress, Bakırhan described the legislation as one that would end 50 years of pain, blood, conflict and violence and move the Kurdish question onto a democratic and legal footing, arguing that it should not make categorical distinctions between those who had and had not been involved in acts of terrorism. He said the improvement of Abdullah Öcalan’s living, working, communication and public-contact conditions was needed, called for the removal of state-appointed trustees (”kayyım”) from DEM-run municipalities in step with the law, and cast the measure as a beginning — a door opening onto demands over language, identity, a decent life, economic justice and jobs for young people — that would mean neither guerrilla mothers nor soldiers’ mothers waking in tears. Framing the process as one in which no one loses, Bakırhan said neither Turks nor Kurds had lost but that peace and the country’s 86 million had won, pointing to DEM becoming parliament’s third party and its municipal gains in Mersin, and pledging to respond to provocations with calm and resolve rather than anger while continuing the struggle for a Turkey where every identity, language and belief could live freely.
Armed attack at cemetery: AKP official killed alongside son and nephew
Mehmet Direk, a member of the AKP’s central district executive board in Batman, was killed alongside his son Ercan Direk and nephew Bekir Direk in an armed attack at the Asri Cemetery in the city’s Güneykent neighbourhood on Saturday evening. According to local Batman media, an as-yet-unidentified assailant or assailants opened fire on the three men, all of whom died. Police sealed off the scene and brought entry and exit under control, while Batman police launched a wide-ranging operation to capture the suspect or suspects, who fled the scene; nearby security cameras are being examined and technical and field work is under way to establish the attackers’ escape route. No explanation has yet been given for the motive behind the attack. AKP Batman provincial chair Hüseyin Şansi said in a social media statement that he had learnt of the deaths with deep sorrow, describing Mehmet Direk as a comrade, and offered his condolences to the Direk family, their loved ones and the party organisation.
🗳️ Opposition Parties (Özgür Özel’s New Party and others)
Another mayor resigns from CHP to join Özel’s YENİ Party
Kadir Aydar, mayor of Ceyhan in Adana province, has announced his resignation from the CHP and his decision to join the new party being founded under the leadership of Özgür Özel. Speaking at an advisory board meeting organised by the CHP’s Ceyhan district branch at the Murat Göğebakan Cultural Centre, Aydar described the move as one of the hardest but most honourable decisions of a political career spanning many years, saying he had never regarded politics as a matter of office, seat or party badge but as standing firm behind one’s values and being willing to pay a price. He recounted joining the CHP at 18, putting up posters and working at ballot boxes in his youth, chairing the party’s Ceyhan district branch, and winning record votes to become mayor in the 2019 and 2024 local elections. Stressing that leaving the CHP did not mean abandoning republican values, Aydar argued that Atatürk’s legacy belonged to no single party, that his decision came with no expectation of office since he was already mayor, and that Turkey needed a politics that once again produced hope. He handed his CHP badge to Gürsel İlçi, who had pinned it on him when he first joined at 18, before being given the new party’s badge by Hıdır Bayrak, one of the CHP’s oldest members.
Published in Official Gazette: Meral Akşener sets up foundation
The founding of a charitable foundation bearing the name of Meral Akşener, the Good Party’s (İYİ Parti) founding leader, has been completed, with the decision published in the Official Gazette. The “Meral Akşener Foundation” was established to help disadvantaged sections of society, following reports in late April that she had begun work on setting it up; the ruling of the Istanbul Anatolia 34th Civil Court of First Instance, dated 12 May, became final on 22 June, and the foundation was formally established through an announcement by the Directorate General of Foundations in the Official Gazette. Its stated purpose is to produce projects, conduct research and provide aid in line with the nation’s educational, social, cultural, environmental and health needs, among other aims set out in its charter. The foundation has cash assets of 5 million lira, and its management includes Akşener, her son Fatih Akşener and her private secretary Esma Bekar.
Arıkan on Ahbap: ‘We won’t let go until the sergeants who shielded it are exposed’
Saadet Party leader Mahmut Arıkan has argued that responsibility for the allegations surrounding the Ahbap association cannot be pinned on musician Haluk Levent alone, asking who the “sergeants” were that shielded the organisation over the years and vowing not to drop the matter until they are exposed. Speaking at his party’s traditional Konya picnic, Arıkan said Turkey’s charitable and foundation culture had been damaged, claiming that donors’ money had been taken and misused over many years, and that the bureaucracy and judiciary that turned a blind eye should also be investigated — accusing the government of using a distraction tactic to throw Ahbap to the public while the “sergeants” escaped scrutiny. He went on to pledge to end what he called a century of polarising politics, calling on citizens of all political stripes — right, left, secular, religious, nationalist, socialist — to struggle together against what he described as an oppressive order. Turning to foreign policy, Arıkan contended that messages delivered at the NATO Summit in Ankara were not coincidental, linking them to regional developments including remarks by Trump, an alleged strike order against Iran, and a reported overnight Ukrainian attack on an Iranian ship, and invoked the late Necmettin Erbakan to argue that the “Greater Middle East” and “Greater Israel” projects were advancing while the region continued to see bloodshed.