A Turkish court on Thursday handed down a suspended sentence of more than one year to Cem Aydın, head of the youth wing of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), after convicting him of “insulting a public official” in a social media post criticizing a prosecutor.
According to the Cumhuriyet daily, the İstanbul 14th High Criminal Court convicted Aydın over a video shared on the official X account of the CHP youth branch that criticized İstanbul’s then-chief public prosecutor, Akın Gürlek.
The court acquitted Aydın of a separate charge of “targeting individuals involved in counterterrorism efforts” and suspended the sentence, meaning he will not serve prison time unless he commits a similar offense within five years.
Gürlek, who was appointed justice minister on Wednesday, has overseen controversial rulings targeting opposition politicians, journalists and activists since becoming İstanbul’s chief public prosecutor in October 2024. The video in question was a reaction to his role in cases that the opposition describes as politically motivated.
In the video CHP leader Özgür Özel is seen calling Gürlek, who served as a high criminal court judge in the past, a “mobile guillotine” and accusing him of working as a political enforcer rather than an independent judge.
Aydın said the prosecution was intended to intimidate youth and described the sentence as political. He called the conviction a “badge of honor.”
The CHP has faced a series of prosecutions criticized as politically motivated and the seizure of some of its municipalities through trustee appointments following its sweeping 2024 local election victory.
The pressure on the CHP and its municipalities has intensified since the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a senior member of the CHP considered to be the strongest political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He was detained along with dozens of İstanbul city officials and was named his party’s presidential candidate in March for the next general election scheduled for 2028.
İmamoğlu is accused of running what prosecutors call a “criminal organization” within the municipality. He has denied the accusations and says they are politically motivated.
