Turkish police have detained Rezan Epözdemir, a well-known lawyer in several high-profile murder and fraud cases, on allegations of bribery, aiding the faith-based Gülen movement — which Ankara designates as a terrorist organization — and political and military espionage, Turkish Minute reported.
Epözdemir, 41, was taken into custody early on August 10 in Istanbul under two separate investigations run by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. In a brief statement prosecutors said his home and office were searched simultaneously and that digital materials were seized before he was detained early in the morning. They cited three main accusations: bribery, assistance for the Gülen movement and espionage.
The bribery allegation centers on testimony from a witness identified only by the initials A.D., along with WhatsApp communications and mobile location records. According to Turkish media reports, prosecutors allege that in 2021 Epözdemir accepted a total of $150,000 from a man named C.Ç. — half before and half after securing the latter’s release from detention. Two of three alleged bribery incidents involved clients, prompting a separation of case files to seek formal authorization for investigation required under Turkish law.
Details of the “aiding a terrorist organization” accusation remain unclear, though Turkish media suggest it is based on past photographs and recorded conversations. Ankara uses the label “FETÖ” for the Gülen movement, which it blames for the 2016 coup attempt — a designation rejected by the movement and not recognized internationally.
Epözdemir has denied the charges, calling them a “plot” orchestrated by another lawyer with whom he clashed in a high profile fraud case involving Denizbank in which he represents some of the alleged victims. The lawyer he accuses of instigating the investigation once represented the bank’s managers. Epözdemir claims the rival lawyer secured a decision of non-prosecution for the bank executives but that, after a change in the prosecutor’s office, charges were filed against them for fraud — allegedly prompting a smear campaign against Epözdemir in November 2024.
He further alleges that social media posts linking him to people described in the press as “Mossad and CIA agents” were part of the same campaign. Epözdemir says prosecutors previously closed a separate investigation into those claims with a decision of non-prosecution.
The İstanbul Bar Association criticized the public sharing of details from the case file, saying it violated the presumption of innocence. It also objected to the use of immediate detention rather than summoning Epözdemir for questioning, arguing that this bypassed protections guaranteed to lawyers under Turkey’s Code of Criminal Procedure.
Epözdemir, a graduate of Marmara University’s law faculty, has served as counsel in cases that drew nationwide attention. He represented the families of Münevver Karabulut, murdered by Cem Garipoğlu in 2009; university student Pınar Gültekin, killed in 2020; and certain victims of Turkey’s 2023 earthquakes. Most recently, he has been representing the family of Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi, a 16-year-old Italian-Turkish youth stabbed to death in İstanbul’s Kadıköy district earlier this year.
In addition to his legal work, Epözdemir served as deputy chair of Galatasaray Sports Club in 2021 under then-chairman Burak Elmas. His high profile and media presence have made him a frequent commentator on legal issues, which some observers say may have contributed to what they deem as the political aspect of his arrest.
Reactions to his detention have been mixed. While the bar association and some legal commentators warned of procedural violations, former ruling party lawmaker Şamil Tayyar called the operation “very brave,” claiming that only strong evidence could justify acting against a lawyer with what he described as “deep connections.”
