Far-right opposition leader Ümit Özdağ to remain in prison
The İstanbul 18th Criminal Court of First Instance held the hearing at the Marmara Prison compound in Silivri, where numerous opposition politicians are being held, including İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
The courtroom was attended by notable political figures, including Milli Yol Party Chair Remzi Çayır, CHP MPs Sibel Suiçmez and Mahmut Tanal, İYİ Party MP Lütfü Türkkan, former Ülkü Ocakları head Atila Kaya, Kutlu Party leader Yusuf Halaçoğlu, Turkish Bar Association President Erinç Sağkan, and journalists İsmail Saymaz, Murat Ağırel, and Yavuz Selim Demirağ. Many people also traveled from other cities to observe the trial.
Upon entering the courtroom, Özdağ was greeted with applause. During the procedural phase, CHP MP Mahmut Tanal requested that armed police officers leave the courtroom, but the presiding judge rejected the request, citing the military nature of the facility. Erinç Sağkan responded critically, stating, “You are the authority in this courtroom – you can’t act as if power rests with the military.”
A request to begin the hearing with the national anthem was also denied as procedurally inappropriate. The court then proceeded with Özdağ’s defense.
Özdağ: “This is a political case”
Delivering a 51-page statement, Özdağ summarized:
“On January 19 in Antalya, I gave a speech. On January 20, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation against me for allegedly insulting the president. That evening, I was detained in Ankara and taken to İstanbul. I spent the night at the police headquarters. The next day, I was referred to Çağlayan Courthouse and questioned on that charge. During my testimony, the prosecutor began questioning me about the Kayseri incidents from June 30, 2024, without a new case file. Then I was referred for formal imprisonment. On January 21, 11 indictments were prepared regarding complaints filed with the Ankara Prosecutor’s Parliamentary Bureau. This is not a judicial, but a political process.”
Özdağ claimed: “The reason I am in detention is not the charge of insulting the president or the events in Kayseri. It is the process involving Öcalan and the PKK.” He criticized the prosecutor who drafted the indictment and accused the judiciary of applying "enemy criminal law" to opposition figures.
Defense argues detention is unjust
Ümit Özdağ’s brother and lawyer, Savaş Özdağ, said:
“Would anyone imagine Professor Ahmet Ercan or Celal Şengör being prosecuted for spreading false information for predicting an earthquake in İstanbul? Just as that would be absurd, so is this case against Professor Ümit. Repeating a concern should not land someone in prison. This trial is an insult.”
Attorney Kahraman Berk also defended Özdağ, stating that the Kayseri police report was purely slander.
Prosecution demands prison sentence, continued detention
After the defenses, the prosecutor submitted the final opinion, requesting a prison sentence of 1.5 to 4.5 years for Özdağ and continuation of his detention.
Özdağ replied: “I was astonished by the prosecution's statement. I’ve made no post about the Kayseri events. I’ve spent 142 days in solitary confinement for nothing, and the prosecution wants this to continue. This is exactly what I meant by ‘enemy law.’”
His lawyer Kahraman Berk requested his release and asked for time to respond to the prosecution. The court rejected the release request and ruled to continue Özdağ’s detention. The next hearing is scheduled for June 17.
Background
Ümit Özdağ was investigated over a speech he gave on January 19, 2025, in Antalya, where he allegedly insulted the president by saying, “No Crusade in the last thousand years has inflicted as much damage on the Turkish nation and state as Erdoğan and the AKP.”
He was arrested the next day in Ankara and charged with “insulting the president” and “inciting hatred and hostility.” The investigation began in İstanbul but was later transferred to Antalya due to jurisdiction.
On April 29, he appeared in court over the “insult” charge and submitted a 30-page defense. That trial was postponed to September 10, 2025.
A second indictment was later filed for “inciting hatred,” citing 34 of Özdağ’s social media posts dating back to 2020. The prosecution claims his content included disinformation about Syrians and other refugees.
He was also linked to a mob attack on Syrians in Kayseri in July 2024. Prosecutors argue that posts by Özdağ and his party encouraged the violence and that he incited hatred based on class, race, religion, and sect.
(HA/DT)
