CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir, participating in a Halk TV broadcast, made statements regarding the detentions of Adana Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Zeydan Karalar and Adıyaman Municipality Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere. Emir noted that Abdurrahman Tutdere was being taken to Istanbul, but it was not yet known where Zeydan Karalar’s statement would be taken.nn**”THEY HAVEN’T SUBSTANTIATED THE CASE WITH CONCRETE EVIDENCE”**nn”We all know that these operations have been politically driven from the very beginning,” stated Emir, continuing his remarks:nn”This is because these colleagues are our mayors, known and recognized by everyone, who have received millions of votes and have been serving for years. They are our associates who serve millions, with fixed addresses and known workplaces. They would have willingly appeared to provide testimony if they had been summoned. However, apprehending them in the early hours of the morning, as if dismantling a terrorist organization, is fundamentally an act of character assassination and evolves into a perception operation from the start. We absolutely do not accept the manner in which these detentions were carried out.nnAs we have consistently stated, there is no account that any member of the Republican People’s Party, any CHP Mayor, public official, or parliamentarian cannot provide. Every issue can be investigated and scrutinized. Their testimony can be sought on any matter. Our colleagues are accustomed to such things, but taking them into custody is the wrong procedure for this. The process is being conducted with these kinds of perception operations in the dead of night. Though we would never want it, we have seen examples of this before. They use reverse handcuffs, sometimes escort them by the arm, sometimes line them up for photographs, and occasionally, during their transport to the courthouse, it’s as if they are shooting a commercial with directors, adjusting the lighting and camera angles, and planning the route. They even make them walk the same path two or three times if they fail to get the desired shot. All of this is designed to create a particular perception among the public.nnThus far, they have been unable to build a substantive case. They are failing to back their claims with concrete evidence. Instead, a process is underway that is being conducted based on slander and the allegations of slanderers, using detentions as a tool. The approach appears to be: let’s detain 30, 40, or 50 people, hope to find a crime to put them in prison, and then wait for them to become informants or coerce them into making false accusations under duress. Unfortunately, this has been the methodology used so far. We reject this. We demand the right to an independent and fair trial for everyone. Naturally, they can be prosecuted, but it is vital that this is done according to proper legal procedures and, crucially, that they are tried without being held in custody.”
