A Turkish court on Friday handed down suspended sentences to two senior executives of the country’s leading business group over speeches critical of government policies, Turkish Minute reported, citing the T24 news website.
The İstanbul 28th Criminal Court of First Instance ruled that Orhan Turan, chairman of the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (TÜSİAD), and Ömer Arif Aras, head of the group’s high advisory council, should each receive one year, three months and 18 days in prison for “publicly spreading misleading information.” The court acquitted both men of a separate charge of attempting to influence the judiciary.
The court also ruled to suspend the announcement of the verdict, meaning the prison sentences will not be enforced unless the defendants commit another offense during the probation period.
The ruling came during the fourth hearing of the trial, which stems from speeches Turan and Aras delivered during TÜSİAD’s general assembly in early 2025.
Prosecutors had accused Turan and Aras of “publicly disseminating misleading information” and “attempting to influence the judiciary,” arguing their remarks during the meeting undermined public trust in the judicial system.
At TÜSİAD’s monthly general assembly on February 13, the group broke its long silence about what many call a democratic backsliding in the country and the erosion of the rule of law, in a move that attracted the government’s anger.
Turan and Aras talked about mounting economic and political risks in the country and pointed to rising government intervention in the private sector, executive control over the judiciary and worsening economic hardship.
They said judicial investigations into opposition political figures create concern in society and damage democracy.
Opposition politicians are facing a series of investigations, detentions and arrests in what critics say is a government effort to stifle dissent and hurt their electoral prospects.
The Turkish government dismisses accusations of political interference in the cases and claims the judiciary is independent.
During Friday’s hearing the prosecutor reiterated an earlier opinion calling for the defendants to be punished.
In his defense Aras said the accusations were unfounded and that his remarks had been taken out of context.
“When my statements that are the subject of this trial are examined, it can be seen that there is no criminal element,” Aras told the court. “My 20-minute speech was taken out of context. When evaluated as a whole, it is clear that it was about economic development and made in good faith.”
He also said the speech addressed current issues without naming individuals and criticized the prosecution’s legal reasoning.
“In all my 72 years, I have never appeared before a court. I cannot accept that a speech made for the country’s development is presented as a crime,” he said.
Turan and Aras’s remarks triggered strong reactions from government officials last year and prompted prosecutors to launch an investigation.
The detentions came after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan publicly lashed out at the business group for its criticism of the rule of law and the economic management in the country.
The business leaders were escorted by police to the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, where they were questioned for hours before being released under a travel ban.
Legal experts and opposition politicians said at the time that the investigation appeared aimed at intimidating civil society and discouraging public criticism of the government.
A court later lifted the travel ban imposed on Turan and Aras during the first hearing of the trial in May 2025.
TÜSİAD was once viewed as a powerful force in Turkish politics, particularly in the early 2000s when its statements carried significant weight in shaping government policy. However, since a coup attempt in 2016, the association has largely avoided direct confrontations with the government, as many business leaders feared economic and legal repercussions.
