Ümit Özdağ, the leader of Turkey’s far-right Victory Party (ZP), has been ordered to remain in pretrial detention following his court appearance on Wednesday on charges of inciting hatred and hostility.
Özdağ, who has been in custody for 142 days, appeared before a judge at İstanbul’s Silivri courthouse in a case that has attracted national attention due to its political implications and freedom of speech concerns.
The charges stem from remarks made by Özdağ during political speeches and in social media activity, which prosecutors argue constitute the crime of “publicly inciting hatred and hostility through the press.”
He also faces a separate charge of insulting the president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which carries a possible sentence of up to four years, eight months, over comments likening Erdoğan’s administration to the historic Christian Crusades.
In his defense Özdağ claimed that his prosecution was politically motivated and that his detention aimed to silence criticism of Turkey’s recent peace efforts with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as well as mass migration.
He denied all the charges, saying his remarks were grounded in political analysis and academic expertise, not incitement, and emphasized his longstanding opposition to both terrorism and illegal migration.
Özdağ argued that his party’s warnings about the sociopolitical risks of uncontrolled migration were based on national security concerns, not ethnic or racial hostility.
The prosecutor requested his continued detention and pressed for a sentence of between one and five years, stating that Özdağ’s remarks had the potential to inflame public tensions and undermine social peace.
In a dramatic statement during the hearing, Özdağ said he was being punished for defending national unity and warned that criminalizing criticism would erode Turkish democracy.
The court adjourned the trial until June 17, continuing Özdağ’s detention despite defense objections.
His arrest followed a fiery speech at a party meeting in Antalya on January 19, after which he was detained in Ankara and later charged in İstanbul under multiple criminal articles.
The charges of incitement focus partly on his comments related to unrest in central Kayseri province last year that led to mob attacks on Syrian refugees and his criticism of refugee policies, which prosecutors claim fueled social division.
Özdağ claimed in court that he used his social media accounts to calm tensions during the Kayseri incident and condemned efforts to portray him as a provocateur.
He claimed he is the only politician in the world currently imprisoned for opposing mass migration, accusing international bodies of ignoring Turkey’s burden in the global refugee crisis.
A vocal nationalist and anti-refugee politician, Özdağ has long been a controversial figure in Turkish politics. His party, founded in 2021, has built its platform on anti-migrant sentiment, advocating for the deportation of millions of refugees.
His arrest has attracted criticism from across the political spectrum, with many calling the case politically motivated.