Cengiz Akkaya was arrested in 2015, while he was a student at Süleyman Demirel University, on allegations of "membership in a terrorist organization" and "insulting Erdoğan".

Akkaya, who was sentenced to 8 years, 1 month and 15 days in prison for "membership in an organization" and 1 year, 9 months and 25 days in prison on the charge of "insulting Erdoğan", was held in Isparta E Type Prison for approximately 5 years.

Cengiz Akkaya was later deported to Konya Ereğli T Type Prison.

Akkaya completed 3/4 of the sentence given for "membership in a terrorist organization" in 2022. No prison was required for his conviction on the charge of "insulting Erdoğan". However, although his sentence was over, his release was prevented by the Konya Ereğli Prison Administrative Board.

It was reported that Akkaya's release was prevented for arbitrary reasons, such as that "he has not left the organization".

In a message he sent to Mezopotamya news agency, Cengiz Akkaya said that the previously postponed execution period ended on 3 November 2023, but the prison administrative board postponed it once again.

Akkaya wrote: "About a year ago, the execution period of my political sentence was completed. For more than a year, I have not been released due to the sentence handed down for 'insulting the President', which according to the law doesn’t carry a prison sentence. The execution period of this sentence has been completed as of 3 November 2023. While I should have been released, the Prison Board of Directors postponed my release for six months with arbitrary evaluations such as 'he did not leave the organization', 'he did not show any regrets'. Even though such arbitrary practices may seem like small details in an environment of so much social and political decay, we should not get used to it, accept it or remain silent."