The Constitutional Court ruled that Tayfun Kahraman’s right to a fair trial was violated and ordered a retrial. The decision was made by majority vote.
Kahraman, former head of Istanbul’s Chamber of City Planners and a prominent figure in the 2013 Gezi Park protests, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in April 2022 alongside Mücella Yapıcı, Çiğdem Mater, Hakan Altınay, Mine Özerden, Can Atalay and Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi on charges of “aiding an attempt to overthrow the government.”
The Court of Cassation upheld his sentence in September 2023. Journalist Alican Uludağ from Now Haber reported that while the top court ordered a retrial, it left the decision on his release to the local court.
Law professor Adem Sözüer said Kahraman “should be released immediately” and urged Turkey to comply with Constitutional Court and European Court of Human Rights rulings, including those on Osman Kavala.
Kahraman’s wife, Meriç Demir Kahraman, welcomed the decision, saying, “We are greatly relieved by this belated acknowledgment of injustice and calmly await the retrial.”
