New Kavala statement from AKP MP Türkeş: 'I will visit him'
AKP Ankara MP Tuğrul Türkeş, who represents Turkey at the Council of Europe, has stated that he will visit Osman Kavala, who is imprisoned in the Gezi Park case.
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Hürriyet columnist Abdulkadir Selvi, known for his proximity to the government, had raised the possibility of 'release' for the defendants in the Gezi Park case in his columns following the local elections.
While Selvi's articles drew reactions from Presidential Advisor Mehmet Uçum and the MHP front, they were supported by AKP Ankara MP Tuğrul Türkeş, who represents Turkey at the Council of Europe.
In a statement he made in May, Türkeş stated that the Osman Kavala case had put Turkey in a difficult position abroad, using the words, "For Turkey to emerge from its difficulties, it must increase freedoms, not penalties."
Recently, Türkeş also asked his party regarding Osman Kavala and the Gezi detainees: "Why are you opposed to this case being viewed within our legal system as free from external influences, or to the legal process being conducted with objective evidence?"
New statements have come from Türkeş, who has drawn attention with his recent remarks on Osman Kavala.
Speaking to Can Bursalı from Gazete Duvar, Türkeş announced that he would visit Osman Kavala.
Tuğrul Türkeş said, "Osman Kavala's situation is like a laboratory," and added the following:
"It must be underlined in red. Osman Kavala was not convicted of espionage. No evidence was found for this accusation; the man was acquitted. He was tried in the case related to Gezi Park. But can a trial last 7 years?"
"ORANGE BILLIONAIRE"
On social media, there are those who say, 'It has become clear why Tuğrul Türkeş is interested in this case.' Hilal Zengin (Osman Kavala's lawyer) is the niece of my friend Mürteza Zengin. Would I not have been interested if this weren't the case? Look at that mindset. They call the man a 'red billionaire.' Does being a billionaire have a place in the Turkish Penal Code? Are we going to call him a light green billionaire or an orange billionaire? Furthermore, if the allegations are true, Osman Kavala is an orange billionaire."
Kavala has become a symbol of 'long trial durations.' We won the general election, but in the local election, the picture turned red, as the media puts it. Why? Our economy is not good. Our minister Mehmet Şimşek, thank goodness, is struggling and working, but because the law does not function directly, we are experiencing difficulties in improving the economy.
"IF YOU FIX THE LAW, THE ECONOMY WILL ALSO IMPROVE"
Actually, the issue is not Kavala or anything else. When you look for money, you cannot get it at the real price. You pay more interest. Why? Because certain rating agencies look at the state of the law in Turkey and come to you with higher interest rates. This excess interest is a burden on your national budget. We need to get rid of this. If you bring trials to a reasonable level and fix the law, the economy will also improve.
If the man wanted to flee, he would have fled; you take the man, you release him. You take him from your door again. You need to explain this abroad. Is this nationalism? Here is nationalism for you.
"THIS IS TRUE NATIONALISM"
(Are you thinking of visiting Kavala?) I requested it from our Minister Yılmaz Tunç. I asked for permission to meet at an appropriate time. I will visit him at some point. I will have seen Osman Kavala for the first time during that visit. This is true nationalism, patriotism. This is the nationalism I was taught."