Medine Mamedoğlu
The trial of Turkish lawyer Necat Çiçek, who faces up to 15 years in prison for his legal work and participation in press statements, has been postponed to February 24, 2026.
The seventh hearing in the case was held at the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court in southeastern Turkey, where Çiçek is being prosecuted on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization,” based on the testimony of a cooperating witness. The charges stem from his professional activities as a lawyer and his attendance at public press statements.
Alongside Çiçek’s legal representative, attorney Mehdi Özdemir, the hearing was attended by the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), a legal rights organization in Turkey.
The session began with identification procedures, after which Özdemir delivered a defense statement. He argued that the court should proceed with a ruling in this case without waiting for a separate investigation opened in Tekirdağ, a city in northwestern Turkey, where Çiçek is accused of “financing a terrorist organization.”
Other defense lawyers, Muhittin Muğuç and Gizem Miran, also presented statements and requested the lifting of judicial control measures and an international travel ban imposed on their client. The court rejected these requests and ruled for the continuation of the restrictions, adjourning the trial to February 24, 2026.
Background on the case
Necat Çiçek was detained on April 25, 2023, as part of a broad investigation launched following testimony from Ümit Akbıyık, a cooperating witness. The same day, police carried out coordinated raids across 20 provinces in Turkey, detaining approximately 200 individuals, including journalists, politicians, and artists.
Among the 22 lawyers detained, 18 were released under travel bans, while four were formally arrested. In the indictment prepared by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Çiçek is accused of being a member of the ÖHD, attending press statements, and allegedly giving instructions to members of an outlawed organization. Prosecutors are seeking up to 15 years in prison.
