Ümit Özdağ alarm in Silivri!..

Müyesser YILDIZ / 12punto.com.tr

Attorney Savaş Özdağ, the brother of Ümit Özdağ, who went to Silivri Prison this morning, shared his impressions and his brother's messages with 12punto.

Stating that Ümit Özdağ is tired and sleepy, but in very good spirits and high morale, Attorney Savaş Özdağ said that following his brother's messages regarding Kaşif Kozinoğlu, the prison administration has taken serious security measures. For example, he noted that when Özdağ is to have a meeting, the door to the corridor where the meeting booths are located is locked and no other meetings are permitted, leaving only them in the area. When asked, Attorney Özdağ stated that there was no time to discuss the reason why Ümit Özdağ sent the Kaşif Kozinoğlu message, but he conveyed his brother's request as follows:

“The process has nothing to do with the law. For this reason, he wanted attention to be focused on this aspect, not the sensationalist side of the matter.”

What Does “The Absence of Any Obstacle to Detention” Mean?

We also discussed the illegalities in the process with Attorney Savaş Özdağ.

Pointing out that the Peace Judgeship's detention justification included the phrase “the absence of any obstacle to the suspect's detention” after listing the information and documents in the file, Attorney Özdağ interpreted this as follows:

“When my brother was a member of parliament, he could not be detained or arrested except in cases of flagrante delicto requiring a heavy penalty. Since he is no longer a member of parliament, it is as if their subconscious slipped, and they are implying, ‘You are no longer a member of parliament, so we can arrest you.’”

Attorney Özdağ also noted that most of the rulings against Turkey at the ECHR relate to the justifications for detention, which is why Articles 100 and 101 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CMK) were amended multiple times to introduce the requirement of concrete evidence for detention, adding:

“The accusation for which my brother was arrested is not among the catalog crimes. Yet, he was arrested by citing strong suspicion of a crime and the existence of concrete evidence that he would flee. What is the concrete evidence that a party chairman who claims to govern the country, a man to whom the state provides protection, would flee?”

Another point emphasized by Attorney Özdağ was:

“My brother was detained for insulting the President. When it was understood that he could not be arrested on this charge, they brought up the accusation of ‘publicly inciting the people to hatred and hostility.’ However, in this case, a separate file should have been opened with a different investigation number, but the proceedings were carried out through the first file. This is a complete violation of procedure.”

Finally, Attorney Özdağ said, “The meaning of this is to bend and twist the law to intimidate dissidents and to say, ‘I did it, so it is done.’ We will continue the struggle. We are much stronger. When everyone speaks up, they won't be able to take anyone.”

BREAKING NEWS RECORD

Let us also draw attention to another detail in the decision to arrest Ümit Özdağ.

As is known, one of the accusations directed at Özdağ is that he incited the events that took place in Kayseri between June 30 and July 3, 2024, following allegations that a person stated to be a Syrian national had molested a young girl.

While no action had been taken or criminal complaint filed against Ümit Özdağ regarding this matter at that time or subsequently, except for some accusations by the pro-government media, it was observed that he was accused in a report prepared yesterday while Özdağ was in custody.

The report, prepared by the Kayseri Provincial Police Department Security Branch on January 21, 2025—that is, yesterday—seven months after the events, was included verbatim in the decision to arrest Özdağ:

“As understood from the report dated 21.01.2025 prepared by the Kayseri Provincial Police Department Security Branch, it is stated that 25 police personnel and one firefighter were injured in the events that occurred in Kayseri on 30/6/2024-3/07/2024, and that the events occurred as a result of posts made by the suspect and individuals sympathetic to the party the suspect is a member of, and in this direction, it is understood that the element of concrete danger has also materialized...”

News Source: Müyesser Yıldız