CHP Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer referred to the courthouse: He was detained in a terror investigation

The police procedures for Özer, who was issued a detention warrant as part of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's Terror and Organized Crime Investigation Bureau into the identification of members and activities of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization, have been completed.

Özer has been referred to the Istanbul Courthouse. The questioning process for the CHP mayor is ongoing.

Within the scope of the investigation, it was determined that Özer had committed the alleged crime by establishing an organic connection with terrorist organization leaders in a continuous and intensive manner, based on transcripts of communications obtained through wiretapping, physical surveillance reports, and bank account records. A search warrant was issued by the Istanbul Duty Criminal Court of Peace upon the request of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

Suspect Özer was detained this morning, and searches were conducted at his home, workplace, and vehicle.

CHP MEMBERS HEADING TO ÇAĞLAYAN

CHP İstanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik announced that they are heading to the Çağlayan Courthouse, where Özer has been referred. Çelik made the following post on his social media account:

"We are heading to the Çağlayan Courthouse, where our Esenyurt Mayor Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özer has been referred for questioning. We will be there for justice and democracy with our Deputy Chairmen, members of parliament, district chairs, mayors, and youth and women's branch chairs. We will uphold the will shown by the people of Esenyurt at the ballot box."

STATEMENT FROM THE CHIEF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE

The following statements were included in the announcement made by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the matter:

"Within the scope of the investigations conducted by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to identify the members and activities of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization;

Based on the evidence within our investigation file, it is summarized that suspect Ahmet Özer, who currently serves as the Mayor of Esenyurt district in Istanbul, has committed the alleged crime of 'Being a Member of the PKK/KCK Armed Terrorist Organization' by establishing an organic connection with the terrorist organization in a continuous and intensive manner, considering: organizational documents seized from members of the terrorist organization which were also delivered to the organization's leadership cadre in the Qandil region of Northern Iraq (the appropriateness of his assignment to the so-called democratic autonomy project during a meeting with terrorist organization leader Abdullah Öcalan on Imrali Island), transcripts of communications obtained as a result of the wiretapping measure applied to him, physical surveillance reports, and the contents of examined account movements, as well as communication records showing 14 contacts with terrorist organization leader Remzi Kartal (Co-Chair of KONGRA-GEL, Member of the KCK Executive Council, and a person sought with a Red Notice) and communication records with (694) different unique individuals who have judicial records due to their membership in the aforementioned terrorist organization over a period of approximately 10 years;

In accordance with the decision taken by the Istanbul Duty Criminal Court of Peace, instructions were given to the Istanbul Police Department's Counter-Terrorism Branch to search his residence, workplace, and vehicles, seize criminal evidence, and apprehend and detain the suspect as of 06:00 on October 30, 2024. The suspect has been apprehended and detained. Search operations are still ongoing."

News Source: 12punto