Thirty-six suspects, including members of the Social Democrat Party (SDP) and Socialist Platform of the Oppressed (ESP), might be accused of attempting to topple the government during the Gezi Park protests, which began as sit-in demonstrations and grew into anti-government protests by many marginalized groups, after the probe of the prosecutor's office is finalized.
Thirty-five members of Çarşı - the fan group of Beşiktaş Football Club - including the group's leaders, are also facing charges of attempting to overthrow the government during last year's Gezi Park protests by carrying out a smear campaign against the government and provoking the public via social media and violent activities. As the prosecutor's office decided to re-investigate the indictment of the case filed by Prosecutor Muammer Akkaş in Jan. 2014, it has emerged that 36 suspects who participated in the protests might possibly face similar charges.
Various Gezi indictments were prepared following the protests by prosecutors accusing some protestors of a coup attempt. Some of the protestors were arrested in June of last year but later released upon appeal pending trial.
The 36 suspects, including Ulaş Bayraktaroğlu, who is also accused of being a member of the terrorist organization Devrimci Karargah (Revolutionary Headquarters), will be tried under the Counter-terrorism Law (TMK) on charges of being members of terrorist organizations, spreading propaganda for terrorist organizations and illegally possessing dangerous weapons in a separate trial. Akkaş is seeking three to 58 years in prison for the suspects.
The suspects have not yet faced charges of toppling the government, but if the prosecutor's office finds tangible evidence after probing the indictment in question, the suspects will be subjected to such charges as well in an additional indictment that will be sent to the Istanbul 2nd High Criminal Court where they could stand trial for a coup attempt like the members of Çarşı.
Prosecutors are seeking aggravated life sentences for some members of Çarşı by submitting an indictment to the court that included telephone conversation logs as proof of the group members attempt to overthrow the government during the protests.
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