Ali Mahir Başarır gives a harsh response to the claim that 'İmamoğlu's lost phone has been seized'! 'They are listening to all our conversations'

Anadolu Agency has claimed that a phone, allegedly belonging to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is being held at Silivri Prison, has been found.

While it was noted that the phone in question has been taken under examination by the police, Republican People's Party (CHP) Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır made a harsh statement.

Başarır stated the following at a press conference he held at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM):

"THEY ARE LISTENING TO ALL OUR CONVERSATIONS"

"There is nothing secret about Mr. Ekrem's phone or my phone. The gentlemen are already listening to all our conversations. They have been listening through both ambient recording and communication logs, as well as technical surveillance.

I don't know about a second phone either; I have only communicated with him through his single phone since 2019, but as I said, we are hearing these things from some journalist friends and on television.

The lawyers, Mr. Ekrem, and we ourselves are not hearing about this; the prosecutor is conducting this investigation with certain TV channels and journalists. Yet, prosecutors used to conduct investigations with the police and the gendarmerie.

I truly have no information, and I have no information about a second number, and I don't believe one exists.

"THEY ARE NULL AND VOID IN OUR EYES"

Regarding the İBB investigation, this is a fact: evidence that did not exist on March 19 is being sought today. When those detained on March 19 were giving statements at the prosecutor's office and the police station in the presence of their lawyers, a month passes and they change their statements. Now, many suspects at the police station say, 'I gave this under pressure, sir, this is not true,' but you don't accept it, the Court of Cassation doesn't accept it. Why are people forced to change their statements? Because you throw people who have worked as CEOs and bureaucrats their whole lives into prison and tell them, 'You will stay here for life, give this statement.' These statements are null and void in our eyes.

Did Mr. Ekrem know he would be taken at 6 in the morning? He did not. The police came and seized his phones, computers, and everything from his home. Where did this phone come from now? These are very suspicious things. I have been a criminal defense lawyer since '99, including my internship. We saw the Ergenekon and Balyoz periods, we saw disgraceful investigations, but I have never seen such a disgrace.

"DOES HE HAVE A HOUSE HE DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT?"

Whose house, which house, why wasn't this done before? I understand, during the Ergenekon and Balyoz periods, you wrapped up newspapers from that date, but you brought and planted old-dated weapons; are you doing this now?

Which house, whose house, brother, where are these coming from? Does he have a house that we don't know about, that his family doesn't know about, that his wife doesn't know about, that his children don't know about, that he himself doesn't know about? We hear these reports on TV in the evening.

Very big scandals, very big illegalities will emerge; this is a disgraceful, disgraceful investigation.

In an investigation where there are so many lies, the only truth is innocence."