Turkish Prosecutors Open Investigation Into CHP Leader Ozgur Ozel Over Remarks About Court Panel

Turkish prosecutors have opened an investigation into CHP leader Ozgur Ozel over remarks he made about the judges presiding over the first hearing in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality case. The move came shortly after Ozel sharply criticized the composition of the court and alleged political interference in the judicial process.

Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel over comments he made about the court panel hearing the high-profile Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) case.

In a statement, the Bakirkoy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation was opened ex officio over Ozel’s remarks directed at the judges after the first hearing in the case, which is being heard under file number 2025/318 at the Istanbul 40th High Criminal Court inside the Marmara Prison complex.

Prosecutors said the investigation concerns alleged insulting remarks aimed at the court panel, under relevant provisions of the Turkish Penal Code.

Investigation follows first hearing in IBB case

The move came after Ozel addressed reporters in Silivri following the first day of proceedings in the sprawling IBB trial, which includes 402 defendants, among them Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, and 106 suspects held in pretrial detention.

The case file runs to roughly 3,900 pages and is one of the most politically sensitive legal proceedings currently underway in Türkiye.

During his remarks, Ozel strongly criticized the court structure, arguing that the case had been steered toward a specific chamber rather than assigned randomly under the principle of the “natural judge.”

He said the panel lacked the level of experience that would normally be expected in a case of such political significance, and alleged that additional judges had been assigned in a way designed to produce a preferred outcome.

Ozel also accused senior judicial figures of politically shaping the process, comments that appear to have triggered the new investigation.

Ozel questioned experience and neutrality of judges

In his post-hearing statement, Ozel said the hearing should have been overseen by more senior and experienced criminal judges, given what he described as one of the most consequential political trials in modern Turkish history.

He argued that the judges on the bench were unusually inexperienced for such a major case and suggested that political loyalty, rather than judicial merit, had influenced appointments.

The CHP leader’s remarks included direct criticism of both the panel and the broader judicial process, framing the trial as politically engineered.

Tensions marked the opening hearing

The first session of the IBB case was marked by tension in the courtroom.

According to reports from the hearing, an exchange took place between Ekrem Imamoglu and the court panel, after which the judges briefly left the courtroom before proceedings resumed following what was described as a mandatory recess.

Lawyers for Imamoglu also filed a motion seeking the recusal of the judges, but that request was rejected.

Speaking after the session, Ozel issued what he described as a warning to the judges, telling them to remain loyal not to the current political climate but to the constitution.

“When you issue an order, be loyal not to today’s atmosphere or political order, but to the constitution,” he said. “Tomorrow, it may not be clear who will be judging whom.”

CHP says trial is politically motivated

CHP Istanbul provincial chair Ozgur Celik, speaking to reporters during a break in the hearing, said the atmosphere inside the courtroom was both emotional and hopeful.

He described the trial as one of the biggest political conspiracy cases in the history of the Turkish Republic and said the proceedings were, in effect, putting the will of 16 million Istanbul residents on trial.

Despite that, he said opposition supporters remained hopeful, arguing that public confidence ultimately rests on the ballot box.

Foreign diplomats attended hearing

The hearing also drew international attention.

Representatives from the Dutch, Swedish, U.S. and Belgian consulates attended the proceedings, according to the report. The French and German consuls general in Istanbul were also present in Silivri, while the United Kingdom and Norway sent representatives from their embassies in Ankara.

The diplomatic presence highlighted the degree of international scrutiny surrounding the IBB case and its potential political implications ahead of Türkiye’s next election cycle.