BTP Chairman Hüseyin Baş speaks out after 'police station sign-in': 'Punishment during the investigation phase'

BTP Chairman Hüseyin Baş signed in at the police station as part of his judicial control measures.

Making a statement after signing in, Hüseyin Baş said the following:

“We came to the police station today to sign in. As you know, while we were engaging in opposition and politics during one of our speeches, we were subjected to an investigation in a way that is unseen anywhere else in the world.

As a result of this investigation, we are facing a sanction today.

This is a situation where the law is operating completely disproportionately; we are facing a sanction that goes far beyond the necessity of a penalty, or rather, a method of punishment during the investigation phase. We will come here and sign in every week.

"JUSTICE IS NEEDED BY US TODAY AND BY OTHERS TOMORROW"

I want it to be known that there is currently only one political party in the politics of the Republic of Turkey that stands out with its statism, and that is the Independent Turkey Party; there is only one chairman, and that is Hüseyin Baş. We are here due to an investigation into insulting the President; we are here with this accusation and this sanction.

The accusation of insulting the President is characterized as a crime committed against the state. What a tragic fate it is that the chairman of the only political party that is statist is being subjected to this sanction.

Statement from BTP Chairman Hüseyin Baş after 'police station signature':
'Punishment during the investigation phase'https://t.co/3MxE38fUcE pic.twitter.com/kWnKhq5tMR

— 12punto (@12puntocomtr) January 13, 2025

But let this be known; I have signed a blank sheet for my state, there is no problem at all. I would sign for my state not just every week, but every day; that is not the issue. The issue is that the law is being used as a stick, hovering over people like the Sword of Damocles. Justice is needed by everyone at all times; today it is needed by us, tomorrow by someone else. Therefore, I invite all of politics to be fair.

STATEMENT FROM BTP CHAIRMAN BAŞ'S LAWYER

Mustafa Hayri Ergan, the lawyer for BTP Chairman Hüseyin Baş, also explained the process they are going through.

Ergan's statements are as follows;

"In the Turkey of 2025, the chairman of a political party established in accordance with the constitution, our client Mr. Hüseyin Baş, has been subjected to a sanction here today for expressing his opinions and engaging in politics, which are his constitutional rights. Under the judicial control measure, he is required to come to the Şenlikköy Police Station every week to sign in, and we have completed our first sign-in today.

"IN TURKEY, THE LAW NOW OPERATES ACCORDING TO THE PERPETRATOR, NOT THE ACT"

In Turkey, the law now operates according to the perpetrator rather than the act; a perpetrator is found first, and then an act is attributed to them. Our Chairman is being subjected to these sanctions today because he used the term 'my son' here. For an act to constitute a crime, it must be a crime for everyone; it should not change from person to person. If the term 'my son' is a crime today, it means millions of people in Turkey are committing this crime. We see here that there is a completely arbitrary application; furthermore, this expression was not even used for the President, a point our Chairman also raised in his statements to the prosecutor's office. However, the prosecutor's office started off on the wrong foot from day one and is proceeding incorrectly."

"HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT IS BEING TAKEN AWAY"

A constitutional right is being violated here; the right to freedom of expression is being violated. Our Chairman is in the process of holding congresses all over Turkey and needs to travel throughout the country. He was in Çanakkale yesterday, and he has more congresses next week; he is a person who needs to travel and has international programs. His freedom of movement, which is a constitutional right, is being taken away from him. It is as if there is no legal atrocity left uncommitted in this file."

"THE JUDICIARY HAS BECOME A STICK FOR THE GOVERNMENT"

We were unable to meet with the judge who imposed the judicial measure on us; as lawyers, we could not speak with them. Our chairman was subjected to sanctions directly without ever having any contact with a judge. Unfortunately, things that should not happen in law are occurring. The judiciary has unfortunately become a complete stick for the ruling power. This system cannot continue this way; it cannot be sustained like this. This rule of law is necessary for everyone. Today, we are experiencing this lawlessness to our very core, and tomorrow, everyone will experience it. These judicial murders must be abandoned as soon as possible.

News Source: 12punto