- Katılım
- Ocak 16, 2025
- Mesajlar
- 196,304
- Tepkime puanı
- 0
İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu fiercely criticized the politicization of Turkey’s judiciary in a press conference. He alleged that biased judicial experts were being systematically assigned to investigate him and other CHP-led municipalities, citing an individual named "Satılmış Büyükcanayakın" as a recurring figure in these cases.
İmamoğlu criticized the government’s handling of crises, including providing delayed information during recent fire tragedy in Kartalkaya: “Globally, this would be called a scandal” he said.
He also condemned the politicization of the judiciary, citing the imprisonment of political leaders like Selahattin Demirtaş and Ümit Özdağ. Stating that arresting political leaders is a hallmark of coup periods, İmamoğlu send his regards to Demirtaş and Özdağ.
Stating that politics is involved in the judiciary to the root, İmamoğlu said the following about the lawsuit filed against him:
“As you know, during my mayorship in Beylikdüzü, a lawsuit was filed against me due to a tender made in 2015. This case is still ongoing at the Büyükçekmece Courthouse. I am facing 7 years in prison and a political ban. The court set a target of 409 days to complete the trial. Postponed to 11 April, we will see whether the trial will be concluded on its 826th day.
In fact, the Council of State ruled on the tender file I am being judged in 2020. It ruled that the mayor, in other words me, cannot be held criminally liable. This decision of the Council of State is signed by 5 high judges. Despite this, I was sued. The court did not find the opinion of the 5 high judges of the Council of State on me sufficient and entrusted the matter to an expert. On 3 July 2022, this expert submitted his report. This extraordinary expert did not find the decision of the 5 high judges of the Council of State to be correct, and with his new report, he claimed that I was responsible for this tender. These statements were also included in the indictment.”
“According to the prosecutor, the internal auditor of Beylikdüzü Municipality identified problems with this tender, prepared a report and submitted it to me. But I didn't do what was necessary. This allegation is very serious and important. But there is a problem. There is a serious problem. There is no such report. I repeat, there is no such report! Since I cannot be presented with a report that does not exist, it is out of the question for me to neglect my responsibility.”
(...)
“Despite this, that is, despite a report that did not exist, the court accepted the indictment. As you can see, this expert is a professional who is comfortable enough to write and cite things that do not exist. He is sure that nothing will happen to him. He obviously has people he trusts behind him. He is a specially selected person. Now I present to you this expert. The name of this extraordinary expert: Satılmış Büyükcanayakın.”
İmamoğlu said “Our investigations, by chance, always coincide with Mr Satılmış”, noting that after the Beşiktaş and Esenyurt operations, they are aiming at İBB. Showing two different expert reports on Ahmet Özer (Esenyurt Mayor arrested in October), İmamoğlu asked to the prosecutor who requested an arrest warrant for Ahmet Özer and the judge who made this decision how can they arrest the mayor:
“Here are the first pages of 2 different expert reports. In the report of Satılmış Bey, the expert in bold colour, our mayor Ahmet Özer is a suspect, but in the report prepared by the other 2 experts, Ahmet Özer is not a suspect, he is not on the list. What did the prosecution do? In violation of custom and the Code of Criminal Procedure, they accused the mayor with the report of the known expert and once again an arrest warrant was issued. The prosecutor, who says ‘There is no problem, everyone is considered to have given a separate report’, as you can see, does not act with the facts. The rules and laws do not say ‘Everyone can give a separate report’. The rules and laws do not say ‘everyone can report separately’. It says ‘multiple expert judgements are either joint, or if there is disagreement, they should write their reasons in the same report’ and that ‘if the expert is a committee, you cannot accept a report that comes with a single signature’.”
İmamoğlu finally called out Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, urging him to take action, saying, “Don’t respond with a tweet about independent judiciary—initiate an investigation.”
Shortly after İmamoğlu's speech, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that an investigation was launched against him on charges of “attempting to influence judicial officials” under Articles 277 and 288 of the Turkish Penal Code.
A SCANDAL BY ANY STANDARD
İmamoğlu criticized the government’s handling of crises, including providing delayed information during recent fire tragedy in Kartalkaya: “Globally, this would be called a scandal” he said.
He also condemned the politicization of the judiciary, citing the imprisonment of political leaders like Selahattin Demirtaş and Ümit Özdağ. Stating that arresting political leaders is a hallmark of coup periods, İmamoğlu send his regards to Demirtaş and Özdağ.
Stating that politics is involved in the judiciary to the root, İmamoğlu said the following about the lawsuit filed against him:
“As you know, during my mayorship in Beylikdüzü, a lawsuit was filed against me due to a tender made in 2015. This case is still ongoing at the Büyükçekmece Courthouse. I am facing 7 years in prison and a political ban. The court set a target of 409 days to complete the trial. Postponed to 11 April, we will see whether the trial will be concluded on its 826th day.
In fact, the Council of State ruled on the tender file I am being judged in 2020. It ruled that the mayor, in other words me, cannot be held criminally liable. This decision of the Council of State is signed by 5 high judges. Despite this, I was sued. The court did not find the opinion of the 5 high judges of the Council of State on me sufficient and entrusted the matter to an expert. On 3 July 2022, this expert submitted his report. This extraordinary expert did not find the decision of the 5 high judges of the Council of State to be correct, and with his new report, he claimed that I was responsible for this tender. These statements were also included in the indictment.”
‘HOW DOES A NON-EXISTENT REPORT GET INTO THE PROSECUTOR'S INDICTMENT?’
“According to the prosecutor, the internal auditor of Beylikdüzü Municipality identified problems with this tender, prepared a report and submitted it to me. But I didn't do what was necessary. This allegation is very serious and important. But there is a problem. There is a serious problem. There is no such report. I repeat, there is no such report! Since I cannot be presented with a report that does not exist, it is out of the question for me to neglect my responsibility.”
(...)
“Despite this, that is, despite a report that did not exist, the court accepted the indictment. As you can see, this expert is a professional who is comfortable enough to write and cite things that do not exist. He is sure that nothing will happen to him. He obviously has people he trusts behind him. He is a specially selected person. Now I present to you this expert. The name of this extraordinary expert: Satılmış Büyükcanayakın.”
İmamoğlu said “Our investigations, by chance, always coincide with Mr Satılmış”, noting that after the Beşiktaş and Esenyurt operations, they are aiming at İBB. Showing two different expert reports on Ahmet Özer (Esenyurt Mayor arrested in October), İmamoğlu asked to the prosecutor who requested an arrest warrant for Ahmet Özer and the judge who made this decision how can they arrest the mayor:
“Here are the first pages of 2 different expert reports. In the report of Satılmış Bey, the expert in bold colour, our mayor Ahmet Özer is a suspect, but in the report prepared by the other 2 experts, Ahmet Özer is not a suspect, he is not on the list. What did the prosecution do? In violation of custom and the Code of Criminal Procedure, they accused the mayor with the report of the known expert and once again an arrest warrant was issued. The prosecutor, who says ‘There is no problem, everyone is considered to have given a separate report’, as you can see, does not act with the facts. The rules and laws do not say ‘Everyone can give a separate report’. The rules and laws do not say ‘everyone can report separately’. It says ‘multiple expert judgements are either joint, or if there is disagreement, they should write their reasons in the same report’ and that ‘if the expert is a committee, you cannot accept a report that comes with a single signature’.”
İmamoğlu finally called out Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, urging him to take action, saying, “Don’t respond with a tweet about independent judiciary—initiate an investigation.”
Shortly after İmamoğlu's speech, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that an investigation was launched against him on charges of “attempting to influence judicial officials” under Articles 277 and 288 of the Turkish Penal Code.