Turkish prosecutors have indicted lawyer and former Justice and Development Party (AKP) official Mücahit Birinci on accusations that he attempted to coerce a jailed businessman into giving false testimony in an ongoing case involving the İstanbul Municipality, Turkish Minute reported, citing the Sözcü daily.
The indictment, drafted by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, was accepted by the İstanbul 37th High Criminal Court, which set the first hearing for September 8.
Prosecutors allege that Birinci met businessman Murat Kapki in prison on July 31, 2025, and urged him to provide a false statement and sign a pre-prepared document he had brought with him.
Kapki, the owner of an advertising firm, is among dozens of suspects in a sweeping investigation into the opposition-run İstanbul Municipality, which has also led to the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a leading opposition figure and a key political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The indictment claims Birinci promised Kapki he would be released in exchange for $2 million and guaranteed his freedom if he complied.
Prosecutors said there is sufficient evidence to proceed with charges and are seeking a prison sentence of between six months and two years for abuse of office.
Birinci denied the accusations in a statement posted on social media on Friday, claiming that the charge does not apply to him because he is not a public official.
He also said his law license was not under threat of revocation.
The prosecutor’s office had earlier announced on August 26 that it had contacted İstanbul police to summon Birinci for questioning as a suspect. Following his testimony, a criminal court imposed judicial supervision measures, including a travel ban and a requirement to report regularly to authorities.
Birinci has denied all allegations.
He was also referred to the AKP disciplinary board with a request for expulsion during the investigation. Shortly afterward, on August 17, he announced his resignation from the party and from active politics.
The Justice Ministry’s approval was obtained before questioning Birinci due to his status as a lawyer, the prosecutor’s office said.
Allegations first raised by opposition leader
The case stems from claims made by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel, who alleged that Birinci attempted to pressure Kapki into fabricating testimony.
Özel said Birinci asked Kapki to describe a meeting that never took place and to name certain individuals.
He claimed Birinci presented a written statement and told the businessman he would be released if he signed it and paid $2 million.
Kapki, who has testified four times under Turkey’s “effective remorse” provisions, has not been released.
However, Kapki later withdrew his earlier statements in a petition submitted to the court, saying he had testified in the hope of securing his release and protecting his family.
In the petition, he said he felt he would not be freed unless he made new statements and acknowledged certain accusations.
Birinci dismissed Özel’s claims as “nonsense” and filed complaints against both Özel and Kapki.
The development comes amid increasing legal pressure on CHP officials and municipalities following the party’s strong showing in the March 2024 local elections.
Since then, opposition-held municipalities have faced mounting legal and administrative pressure.
A recent statement by municipal workers union Tüm Bel Sen said 85 municipalities have changed hands through trustee appointments, removals, arrests and shifts in city council control, affecting more than 8.8 million votes, since the 2024 elections.
Recent cases have reinforced that trend. In the western province of Bursa, Mayor Mustafa Bozbey was arrested last week in a corruption probe involving dozens of suspects, while Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım was jailed in a separate bribery investigation days earlier.
The CHP says such investigations are part of a broader campaign to undermine opposition-run municipalities, while government officials deny the claims, saying the probes are based on evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, the corruption trial of İmamoğlu entered its second month on Thursday, in a case widely seen as a major setback for Turkey’s opposition.
He is accused of running a vast criminal network he allegedly influenced “like an octopus.”
Prosecutors want him jailed for 2,430 years.
The mass trial at the Marmara courthouse in Silivri on İstanbul’s outskirts involves more than 400 defendants, 107 of whom remain in detention. The judge last week ordered the release of 18 of them pending trial.
