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Umit Ozdag, the leader of Türkiye's Victory Party (Zafer Partisi) appeared before a judge on Wednesday, facing potential imprisonment of up to seven years and 10 months on charges of "publicly inciting hatred and hostility through press and media."
The hearing, originally scheduled to take place at the 18th Criminal Court of First Instance in Caglayan Courthouse, was relocated to courtroom number 2 at Silivri Prison due to insufficient capacity at the main courthouse.
The defendant has been held in custody for 142 days, making him the longest-detained individual under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code.
The legal proceedings stem from statements made during a provincial party leaders' consultation meeting in Antalya on January 19. Party leader Ozdag made controversial remarks about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, claiming that "no Crusade in the last thousand years has caused as much damage to the Turkish nation and Turkish state as Erdogan and his party have."
One day after these statements, the defendant was detained in Ankara and subsequently transferred to Istanbul Police Headquarters and then to Istanbul Courthouse.
He was formally arrested on charges of "publicly inciting hatred and hostility."
The case file was separated on Feb. 17 into two distinct proceedings. The first case involves charges of "insulting the president," carrying a potential sentence of up to four years and eight months.
The initial hearing for this case took place on April 29 at the Istanbul 35th Criminal Court of First Instance in Caglayan.
The second case, addressing charges of "publicly inciting hatred, hostility, and humiliation," began its first hearing on Wednesday morning at the Istanbul 18th Criminal Court of First Instance. This is the case for which the defendant remains in detention and faces the more severe sentence of up to seven years, 10 months, and 15 days.
The indictment connects Ozdag to large-scale protests in Kayseri in July 2024, where over 15,000 people reportedly took to the streets. The unrest resulted in damage to more than 260 residences and 160 vehicles and left 25 police and emergency personnel injured.
According to prosecutors, posts made by the Victory Party and its supporters played a role in encouraging these events. Party chairman Ozdag’s online statements are alleged to have incited divisions among groups based on ethnicity, religion, or social identity—falling under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code.
The defendant arrived at the courtroom within the Marmara Closed Penitentiary Institution campus in Silivri to applause from supporters. Observers noted that he appeared to have lost weight during his 142-day detention period. The hearing was attended by numerous parliamentarians from the Victory Party, Republican People's Party (CHP), and Good Party (IYI Parti), as well as other politicians and citizens.
Traffic congestion occurred on routes leading to the courthouse as many party supporters traveled to the area to show their support. The small size of the courtroom became a point of contention, and objections were raised regarding the presence of armed security forces in the courtroom.
In his approximately 50-page defense statement, Umit Ozdag repeatedly emphasized his belief that the real reason for his prosecution was his opposition to negotiations with the imprisoned PKK ringleader Abdullah Ocalan and the terrorist organization.
He argued that his criticism of these talks, rather than his specific statements, was the true motivation behind the charges.
The defendant stated that future history books would record that he was prosecuted not for "inciting incidents in Kayseri" but for "telling people not to trust the PKK and not to change the Constitution."
The defendant remains in custody at Silivri Prison, where he was transferred following his arrest. Before the hearing, he issued a call through his lawyers on social media, inviting public attendance at the courthouse within the prison complex.
The Zafer Party controls no seats in parliament, nor any major political foothold other than Ozdag's one-man show and ability to make headlines with outlandish claims—especially when it came to refugees in the country.
With recent developments indicating a possible large-scale return of Syrians to their homeland, the future for the party holds ambiguity.
Before the overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria, Ozdag's racist rhetoric could find a place for itself among the public, though very limited.
Lastly, the party is not catching up with its old days in the polls.
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