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Istanbul Mayor's Trial Continues Amid Tensions
🇹🇷 Turkey /Crime & Justice

Istanbul Mayor's Trial Continues Amid Tensions

From Cumhuriyet · () Turkish

Translated from Turkish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • The 62nd hearing in the trial of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and 413 others began at the Silivri prison complex.
  • Previous hearings saw tensions arise over the court's planned completion date and defense attorneys' time limits.
  • The current session is expected to continue hearing defenses from individuals who could not complete their statements in prior sessions.

The 62nd hearing in the trial involving Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and 413 co-defendants commenced today at the Marmara Prison complex in Silivri. The proceedings are expected to focus on the statements of defendants and their lawyers who were unable to conclude their defenses in previous sessions.

Tensions marked the 61st hearing when the court panel announced its intention to complete the first session on July 9. This announcement prompted a strong reaction from İmamoğlu, who questioned the rush, asking the presiding judge, "Why are you so insistent on finishing on July 9? Is there a new operation?" The court president subsequently ordered İmamoğlu's removal from the courtroom, and remarks made towards CHP lawmakers during the ensuing arguments drew public criticism. The hearing was adjourned due to the disturbance.

Disagreements over defense time also surfaced in a prior session. During the defense statements of Murat Ongun, Chairman of the Board of Medya AŞ, a dispute arose between the defense attorneys and the court panel regarding the allotted time. Ongun's lawyer, Rahşan Sertkaya Daniş, argued that the right to defense was being restricted. İmamoğlu and other defense lawyers joined the discussion, leading to the session concluding earlier than scheduled.

Today's session is anticipated to resume hearing the defenses of individuals like İBB Sports Club President Fatih Keleş and İmamoğlu İnşaat General Manager Tuncay Yılmaz, among others, who have yet to complete their legal arguments.

Why are you so insistent on finishing on July 9? Is there a new operation?

— Ekrem İmamoğluIstanbul Mayor questioning the court's planned completion date during the 61st hearing.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Cumhuriyet in Turkish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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