Ümit Özdağ, chair of the anti-refugee Victory (Zafer) Party, was released from prison today after being sentenced to two years, four months, and three days for “inciting the public to hatred and hostility” under Article 216 of Turkey’s Penal Code.
The ruling was delivered by the İstanbul 18th Penal Court of First Instance during a hearing held at the Marmara Prison compound in the Silivri district. Özdağ had been idetained for nearly five months.
The trial was attended by several political and legal figures, including Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, opposition lawmakers, and the president of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, Erinç Sağkan. Supporters applauded Özdağ as he entered the courtroom, some singing the national anthem before the session began.
Revised indictment sought longer sentence
During the hearing, a newly appointed prosecutor repeated the final opinion presented at an earlier session but added that the alleged offense had been committed in a “repeated pattern,” requesting an increased sentence of up to 7.5 years.
Özdağ delivered a 15-page defense, challenging the prosecution’s evidence and framing the case as politically motivated.
The indictment and the prosecutor's final opinion is one of the most concrete examples of murder of law, he said, claiming that the document relied on an unsigned and unverified report from the Kayseri Police Department in relation to a 2024 pogrom attempt against Syrian refugees in the city.
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He stated that the social media posts cited as evidence were made not by him, but by former party members or sympathizers. “Even if those posts were crimes, responsibility is individual,” he said. “Do you hold Erdoğan responsible for crimes committed by AKP members? Or Bahçeli for those by MHP members?”
Addressing the court, Özdağ added, “If I were a pro-government politician, I would not be standing here. If I were, a not-guilty verdict would be easier for you.”
Following a brief recess, the court announced its verdict and ordered Özdağ’s release.
Background
The first investigation against Özdağ began after a speech in Antalya on Jan 19, in which he targeted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying, “No Crusade in the past thousand years has done as much harm to the Turkish nation and state as Erdoğan and the AKP." He was detained in Ankara the following day.
A second investigation for incitement followed, based on remarks he made in Kayseri in Jul 2024 during an anti-Syrian pogrom attempt. The indictment, later expanded, cited 34 of Özdağ’s social media posts dating back to 2020, which prosecutors claimed included disinformation about Syrian and other refugee communities.
The court found him guilty on charges related to inciting hatred but did not uphold the full sentence sought by prosecutors. While Özdağ has now been released, the case remains one of the most prominent legal actions involving a political leader accused of stoking anti-refugee sentiment in Turkey. (HA/VK)
