In the first official statement from the government on the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç emphasized that the legal process was open to inspection and everyone should await official the verdict. Tunç said in a social media post on Sunday that people, especially those in posts of authority, should be more cautious when commenting on the case.
Tunç noted that judicial processes were ongoing. “Judges are bound by the contents of the case in issuing verdicts in investigations and prosecution and come to a legal conclusion based on evidence, allegations and defense. Therefore, it is wrong to define an ongoing judicial prosecution as a political prosecution,” he said.
“Shifting legal interpretation to a political ground may cause public misperception and contradict the principle of the state of law,” Tunç added.
As the gravity of charges against Imamoğlu surfaced, his Republican People’s Party (CHP) sought to portray it as politically motivated accusations. Tunç said it was essential to await all aspects of the process to be concluded in line with trust in the principle of the state of law and trust in the judiciary. All comments and assessments regarding the cases should be handled cautiously, he also stressed.
“Lest we forget, justice only prevails through independent, neutral judiciary organs issuing verdicts only in the name of the Turkish nation. So, everyone, particularly those in authority, should be more cautious, more responsible in their statements and avoid statements that may distort public perception,” he said.
The CHP and Imamoğlu have denied the accusations in the case despite mounting evidence and, instead, charged the government with interfering in the case.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday responded and said it was the CHP trying to intervene in the case by politicizing it. “If you have the courage, let democracy work, let the rule of law prevail,” Erdoğan told an event in Istanbul. “If you have the heart, let the courts make their decisions on behalf of the Turkish nation without any pressure. Let right and wrong, innocence and guilt, be determined by the law.”
Erdoğan accused the CHP of panic and aggression, asking its chair, Özgür Özel, why he was “afraid.”
“You used to say there was no stain on your party. You used to preach transparency and honesty. What changed now?” he asked.
The president emphasized that the corruption allegations have not only disturbed the public but also conscientious people within the CHP. “The filth that has been revealed is not only troubling us and our nation but also those within the CHP who have a conscience,” he said. “The CHP cannot regain its political reputation or identity as a political party unless it cleanses itself of these looters and thieves who have entangled the party like poisonous ivy. Because in politics, honor, dignity, and trust are virtues that cannot be easily restored,” he said.
Erdoğan also criticized the CHP for its alleged ties to marginal extremist groups and its attempts to disrupt public order. “The days of taking to the streets with marginal groups and vandals to challenge the national will are over,” he said.
He reiterated that no one in Türkiye was above the law. “Whether you accept it or not, no one in Türkiye is outside the scope of the law. There is no privileged minority with the freedom to commit crimes, and there never will be,” Erdoğan said.
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