Bora Kaplan points to police pressure in his defense: 'My life was monitored by the police'

Müyesser YILDIZ      12punto.com.tr 

The third week of the Ayhan Bora Kaplan organized crime organization trial has begun, with defenses being heard against the final opinion on the merits.

In today's session of the trial, held by the Ankara 32nd High Criminal Court at the Sincan Prison complex, Bora Kaplan's lawyer, Tarık Teoman, made a statement. Explaining that there was no investigation or prosecution against Bora Kaplan at the time he was taken into custody, and that previously issued non-prosecution decisions were only lifted after Kaplan was detained, Attorney Teoman said that the authorities acted with the logic of, "Let's detain him first, then we'll lift them."

Arguing that there is no organization according to the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) and that Bora Kaplan is not an organization leader, Attorney Teoman requested a dismissal regarding the organization charge. He noted that his client never used a phone number alleged to belong to him, and that out of 61 defendants, only four were mentioned as having contact with him, three of whom were his employees.

Attorney Tarık Teoman stated that Bora Kaplan did not seize anyone's venue, but only operated the venues he established himself, and said the following:

''The reason he quit this business was police pressure. He was so weary that he shared every step he took with the police. What kind of organization leader lives his life so much in front of the police?"

Commenting on the allegation that complainant Erkan Doğan's teeth were pulled out with pliers, saying, "The fiction itself defies logic and imagination," Attorney Teoman also responded to the accusations regarding the murder of Mahfuz Tatar and the claim that Semih Arslan, who committed the murder, was thrown from a balcony to his death, by playing a video by fugitive FETÖ member Ahmet Dönmez.

Stating that Bora Kaplan became a target for FETÖ members after going to TRT during the July 15 coup attempt, and that publications titled "The rise of Soylu's mafia, Bora Kaplan" were produced, Attorney Teoman played a video from March 8, 2022—two years before this case was filed—in which fugitive Ahmet Dönmez recounts the Mahfuz Tatar and Semih Arslan incidents. After playing the video, he pointed out that the statements of Ahmet Dönmez and those of the secret witnesses, as well as some complainants and witnesses, were identical, and continued as follows:

"Are these coincidences? It is clear from whom the information put into the file as 'intelligence information' was obtained. Ahmet Dönmez's slanders were made to be told by secret witnesses, and this case was filed."

At the end of his defense, Attorney Tarık Teoman also noted that it is essential for Sadık Soylu (a cousin of Süleyman Soylu) and his son Fahri Soylu to be heard as witnesses.

NO TIME FOR CMK LAWYERS

In previous sessions of the trial, lawyers were appointed from the CMK for defendants Yusuf İzzet Savaş and Burak Kapucu, and the Presiding Judge had granted them until December 6 to prepare their defenses, while the lawyers had requested copies of the 80-volume file.

In today's session, when Yusuf İzzet Savaş's lawyer, Cem Ali Kılıç, repeated the request for the 80 volumes, the Presiding Judge said, "You know that we cannot provide them and you cannot take them." Upon this, Attorney Kılıç called a lawyer from the Human Rights section of the Ankara Bar Association No. 2 and had a record drawn up.

While Attorney Kılıç stated that he could not present a defense under these circumstances, Burak Kapucu's lawyer, Bahar Can Oruç, reminded the court that they had previously been granted time until December 6 and requested additional time.

After a break, the Presiding Judge concluded the hearing as there were no other defendants or lawyers to make statements, stating that the request for additional time by the CMK lawyers was rejected on the grounds that it was intended to prolong the trial, and that they would withdraw to deliberate on the requests to expand the prosecution.

The Presiding Judge also noted that the defendants would be asked for their final words tomorrow, saying, "Everyone should come."

News Source: Müyesser Yıldız