Judicial year set to open in Türkiye as high-profile trials to resume
ANKARA
The judicial recess in Türkiye, a period of collective leave for the judiciary that began on July 20, will officially end on Sept. 1, shifting public attention back to several high-profile cases.
During the recess, which was announced through a circular by the Council of Judges and Prosecutors, duty courts in courthouses handled urgent cases and those involving detainees, while all other proceedings were suspended until the new judicial year.
The Council of State and the Court of Appeals also operated with duty panels during this period, whereas the Constitutional Court was not covered by the recess.
The new judicial year will formally open with a ceremony at the Court of Appeals on Sept. 1. Following the inauguration, proceedings in several closely watched cases will resume.
Among them is a major trial stemming from an investigation by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into the alleged forgery of official documents, including university diplomas, using e-signatures of senior public officials.
A total of 134 defendants indicted in the case are scheduled to appear before the court on Sept. 12.
The scandal, which first came to light when it was revealed that individuals had purchased fake diplomas in fields such as law, psychology, and engineering, stirred widespread public outrage.
Another case drawing attention involves the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). The lawsuit seeks to annul both the party’s 38th Ordinary Congress held on Nov. 4–5, 2023, and its 21st Extraordinary Congress on April 6. The hearing is set for Sept. 15.
Current CHP chair Özgür Özel replaced longtime leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in the 2023 vote, which prosecutors described as “shady” amid claims of rampant vote-buying raised by some former party members.
