Court of Appeals

Fourteen years have passed since the tragic events of May 5, 2010, when unidentified individuals set fire to a neoclassical building on Stadiou Street 23, near Klafthmonos Square, during a protest march. At the time, the building was leased by Marfin Bank. Now, the Supreme Court has attributed responsibility to the bank for failing to implement fire safety and security measures.

Assets linked to the criminal organization led by controversial televangelist Adnan Oktar have been transferred to Türkiye's state treasury following a final court ruling.

An Istanbul court's verdict on the organization regarding 215 defendants — including 72 currently imprisoned — was finalized on Nov. 16, 2022.

The 72-year-old is serving his sentence while preparing for a retrial scheduled for November 12, after his 2020 conviction was overturned. In that trial, Weinstein had been found guilty of rape, but in April this year, New York’s Court of Appeals annulled the conviction, ruling that he did not receive a fair trial.

Constitutional Court head Kadir Özkaya said on Oct. 19 that the top court will now hold meetings with the Court of Appeals on cases that may significantly impact legal precedents.

The rate of the Constitutional Court's violation decisions in individual applications is around 3 percent, Özkaya told journalists during a press gathering in Ankara on Oct. 19.

Mehmet Veysi Dolaşan, found to have transported explosives used in the deadly 2016 bomb attack in central Ankara, has been sentenced to a total of 5,172 years in prison.

The attack carried out by PKK killed 36 people and injured hundreds. On Oct. 16, an Ankara court retried the case after the Court of Appeals overturned earlier verdicts against six defendants.

Former Defense Minister Giannos Papantoniou and his two co-defendants were unanimously acquitted by the Court of Appeals on Friday due to lack of evidence in a money laundering case linked to alleged bribery.

A special parliamentary session to address the status of jailed former deputy Can Atalay ended in chaos on Aug. 16, with a brawl breaking out that left several lawmakers injured.

The session, held despite parliament being in recess, was convened after the Constitutional Court declared that the annulment of Atalay's parliamentary status was invalid.

The Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) has enacted significant appointments and reassignments, affecting a total of 4,340 judges, prosecutors and court members across Türkiye.

According to the HSK's January decree, published in the country's Official Gazette on June 29, Zafer Koç has been appointed chief public prosecutor of the Istanbul Anatolian Palace of Justice.

A presidential decree has abolished the remaining prison sentences of seven retired soldiers serving life imprisonment for their involvement in the Feb. 28, 1997 "post-modern coup."

The decree on May 17 pardoned Fevzi Türkeri, Yıldırım Türker, Aydan Erol, Cevat Temel Özkaynak, Erol Özkasnak, Çetin Doğan and Çevik Bir from their prison terms.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has appointed Muhsin Şentürk as the new chief public prosecutor of the Court of Appeals.

Şentürk's appointment comes after a 37-round presidential election held by the top appeals court that saw him emerge as one of the candidates. He exited the race with two rounds remaining.