Annual judicial recess begins as major trials await

ANKARA

Türkiye’s annual judicial recess begins on July 20, with courts across the country suspending most proceedings until the new judicial year starts in September while designated duty courts continue to hear urgent cases.

During the recess, duty courts at courthouses will handle cases involving detained defendants and other urgent matters. Hearings in non-urgent cases will be postponed until after the recess ends.

Duty panels will also remain on duty at Türkiye’s two highest appellate courts, the Council of State and the Court of Appeals.

At the former, the duty panel will not issue rulings on the merits of cases but will only decide requests to suspend the execution of administrative decisions. At the appeals court, separate civil and criminal duty chambers will operate, with the criminal chamber handling cases involving detained defendants.

Under Turkish law, the judicial recess runs annually from July 20 through Aug. 31. The Constitutional Court does not suspend its work during the period.

Following the start of the new judicial year in September, Ankara courts are set to resume hearings in several high-profile cases.

On Sept. 3, proceedings will continue in the retrial of 76 defendants accused of ties to a crime gang led by Ayhan Bora Kaplan after an appeals court overturned an earlier ruling.

A court on Sept. 17 will hear the trial of nine defendants accused of providing financing to FETÖ through a döner restaurant chain. The company was placed under the control of the state-run Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) as trustee during the investigation.

On Sept. 22, the trial over the 2020 death of Sema Esen, widely known by the name Aleyna Çakır will continue. Ümitcan Uygun is charged with encouraging suicide and torture.

A court is also scheduled on Sept. 30 to continue the trial of four defendants accused of causing the death of police officer Melih Okan Keskin during a fight at a vehicle inspection station.

Hearings are also scheduled for Oct. 14 in the trial of 10 defendants over the 2002 assassination of academic Necip Hablemitoğlu and for Oct. 16 in the case involving 14 defendants over alleged irregularities in concert spending by the Ankara Municipality between 2021 and 2024.

Separately, prosecutors are expected to finalize indictments during the new judicial year in two major investigations.

One concerns an alleged bribery and bid-rigging scheme involving 24 suspects, including Çankaya Mayor Hüseyin Can Güner, who were arrested on July 15.

Another relates to the 2009 helicopter crash that killed former nationalist leader Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu and five others. Nineteen suspects were arrested on July 17 as part of the long-running investigation.