The Constitutional Court ruled that Tayfun Kahraman had been violated
Tayfun Kahraman was born in Izmir in 1981. He completed his high school education at Izmir Atatürk High School in 1999. He then studied at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University's Department of Urban and Regional Planning, graduating in 2004.
He joined professional organizations since his university years. Between 2006 and 2010, he served as a secretary member of the TMMOB Chamber of Urban Planners' Istanbul Branch. He served two terms in this role. In 2010, he was promoted to branch president.
Kahraman served as president of the Istanbul Branch of the Chamber of Urban Planners until 2019. He held this position for a total of nine years. He also served on the chamber's headquarters management from 2010 to 2014.
His academic career paralleled his professional life. He earned a master's degree in urban planning from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in 2010. He completed his doctorate in Political Science and Public Administration from Istanbul University's Faculty of Political Sciences in 2017.
The Gezi Park protests erupted in 2013. Kahraman served as the spokesperson for the Taksim Solidarity Components Platform during this period. He was part of the delegation that met with then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. These meetings were aimed at influencing the course of events.
He also gained experience in the public sector. He worked at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism between 2009 and 2014, serving as a culture and tourism expert on the Conservation Area Board. He remained at this institution for five years.
He began working as a faculty member in 2014. He taught at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. He combined his academic career with his experience in municipal administration.
He worked as a consultant at Beylikdüzü Municipality between 2014 and 2018. During this period, he gained local government experience and contributed to municipal projects for four years.
In 2019, he was appointed to a critical position at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. He was appointed Head of the Earthquake Risk Management and Urban Development Department. He held this position until 2022. For three years, he managed Istanbul's earthquake preparedness and urban transformation projects.
During the same period, he also served as chairman of the board of directors of the Hamidiye Spring Waters, operated by the Istanbul Municipality. He had a say in the management of the city's water resources.
The trial has begun in connection with the Gezi Park protests. He was tried on charges of "attempting to overthrow the government of the Republic of Turkey or obstructing it from performing its duties." The court announced its verdict on April 25, 2022. Kahraman was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
He wrote a book during his prison experience. He penned "Waiting for Justice: Earthquake, Politics, City" during his time in Silivri Prison. The book was published in 2023.
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