TÜSİAD executives sentenced to 15 months in prison for public remarks

By Ahmet Taş | Wise News Press

ISTANBUL, TURKIYE — The President of the High Advisory Council (YİK) of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD), Ömer Aras, and former Board President Orhan Turan have been sentenced to 1 year, 3 months, and 18 days in prison for "publicly spreading misleading information".

The court decided to defer the announcement of the verdict (HAGB), meaning the two high-profile business figures will not serve time in prison provided they do not commit another offense within a specified period. While they were convicted on the information charge, both Aras and Turan were acquitted of the charge of "attempting to influence a fair trial". Throughout the proceedings, both defendants rejected all allegations, maintaining that their statements were within the bounds of freedom of expression and professional responsibility.

Legal battle over economic and judicial criticism

The case against the two business leaders began following the TÜSİAD General Assembly in February 2025, where they delivered speeches critical of the government's economic and judicial policies. The indictment, accepted on March 10, claimed that the sanics provided "untrue or misleading information with the aim of manipulating the public on political, economic, and commercial matters".

Initially facing up to 5 years and 6 months in prison, Ömer Aras argued in his first defense on May 20, 2025, that the accusations were "baseless and without evidence," asserting that his remarks were protected under freedom of thought. Orhan Turan echoed these sentiments, stating that as a representative of the business community, it was his duty to share views regarding the country’s economic development.

The investigation into the pair saw them taken for questioning by the Istanbul Police Department’s Security Branch in February 2025. They were subsequently released on February 20, 2025, under a judicial control measure that included a ban on traveling abroad.

Political reactions and presidential backlash

The judicial process drew significant attention from the highest levels of the Turkish government. On February 19, 2025, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan publicly criticized the association, claiming the management had "exceeded their bounds". President Erdoğan described TÜSİAD as an entity that sought to "design politics" in the "old Turkey" and warned that "no one has the power to bring back the old system".

In response to claims that the investigation was triggered by the President's remarks, then-Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç clarified on TGRT Haber that the probe had actually started prior to Erdoğan's speech. Tunç noted that while NGOs have a democratic right to express opinions, "efforts to direct the judiciary and politics are contrary to the spirit of democracy and the principle of the rule of law".

Opposition leaders, however, saw the move as an attack on democratic values. CHP Chairman Özgür Özel criticized the fact that business leaders were taken for questioning under police supervision, describing the process as a "new indicator of how the democracy and law environment has been corrupted". Özel claimed the government was sending a clear threat: "Anyone who criticizes me or raises their voice will suffer".

TÜSİAD'S defense of participatory democracy

Following the initiation of the investigation, TÜSİAD released a formal statement defending its leaders' actions as part of the "principle of participatory democracy". The association emphasized that its evaluations were made from a neutral and independent standpoint to contribute to the nation's welfare.

"Every issue, including criticisms directed at our association, should be seen as a richness of the culture of discussion and democracy in Turkey," the statement read, adding that it was a responsibility to the country to offer knowledge, experience, and suggestions to move the nation forward.

Content of the controversial speeches

The speeches delivered at the February 13 general assembly covered a wide range of sensitive public issues, including the rule of law and economic management. The executives touched on recent arrests, the dismissal of military lieutenants, the Kartalkaya fire, and the İliç mining disaster, framing them as symptoms of a broader "system failure".

Orhan Turan pointed out the increasing difficulty of fighting inflation for both entrepreneurs and workers, noting that "the industrialist is struggling, the exporter is suffering, and the charm of imports is increasing". He also raised alarms about the erosion of trust in the law, stating that "setting up an organization for the purpose of committing a crime is now easier than setting up a company".

Ömer Aras focused heavily on the political environment, citing the removal of elected mayors and the appointment of trustees as "extraordinary events". He specifically referenced the arrest of manager Ayşe Barım and Halk TV Editor-in-Chief Suat Toktaş, as well as investigations against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Aras called for a self-correcting mechanism within the state system, concluding that "those responsible should leave their posts, give an account, and be replaced by competent people". The court's ruling marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over the limits of institutional criticism and the application of the "misleading information" law in Turkey.

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