4,000-page IMM indictment fails to satisfy even the AKP camp! 'This was unnecessary'

The 3,900-page IMM indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and submitted to the court has drawn reactions from the opposition due to the political assessments and secret witness testimonies it contains.

The indictment levels accusations against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, including "establishing a criminal organization for profit," "leaking data," and "causing public loss."

According to the prosecutor's claim, one of İmamoğlu's goals was to take control of the CHP to strengthen his presidential candidacy. While accusations were directed at a total of 402 people, a prison sentence of up to 2,352 years was requested for İmamoğlu.

Following the public release of the indictment, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel visited İmamoğlu.

Speaking after the visit, Özel stated that the "political aspect of the indictment is clearly visible," adding, "I thank Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek, because even I could not have described such a political text in this way."

In his response, Ekrem İmamoğlu called for the hearings to be broadcast on TRT. Addressing Parliament, İmamoğlu stated that "appropriate legislation should be enacted."

CHP staff stated that the indictment would be subjected to a comprehensive review. Party sources argued that the text is "politically weighted rather than legal" and expressed that they would continue to share their assessments with the public.

On the other hand, criticisms of the indictment also came from the ruling party front. Former AKP deputy Şamil Tayyar, appearing on a television program, described the indictment as "both too long and full of political assessments."

TAYYAR: “THERE WAS NO NEED FOR 4,000 PAGES”

Tayyar stated that the volume of the indictment was unnecessarily large and made the following remarks:

“I found it too long; there was no need for 4,000 pages. It could have been summarized in around 900 or 1,000 pages. Because an indictment is not a text on its own; it has annexes and documents as well. In this state, it has become difficult to read and its clarity has decreased.”

During the program, journalist Fuat Uğur also provided an assessment, saying that the indictment "could have been classified and prepared in a shorter format." Recalling that he had previously shown a 600-page indictment as a 'model text' for a similar case, Tayyar suggested that this text could also have been more concise.

“IT IS NOT RIGHT TO LINK IT TO POLITICS”

Tayyar stated that the political comments added to the indictment weaken the legal text and made the following assessment:

“This text is linked to politics in some sections. There are phrases like 'taking over the CHP' or 'gaining an advantage in the presidential election.' This may be the intention, but expressions that will become subjects of political polemics should have been avoided in the indictment.”

Tayyar continued his words as follows:

“If a person has committed theft, you state it clearly. You say, 'He took this, he gave that, he did this.' But reading intentions like 'he was going to buy a summer house, he was going to gain intra-party power' remains legally weak.”

“IT SHOULD BE A SEPARATE CASE”

When asked by Fuat Uğur on the program, “Could these statements be based on another case regarding the financial resources of the CHP congress?”, Tayyar replied:

“It could be; there is already a separate case regarding this issue. However, it is very difficult to prove whether a person used that money for the presidential election while asking for a bribe. It is not easy to establish this connection legally.”