Appeal filed against the detention of Ahmet Özer, who was replaced by a trustee

An appeal has been filed against the detention of Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, who was sent to prison shortly after being detained on October 30 and replaced by a trustee. 

Following the appeal application, CHP Deputy Chairman responsible for Internal Affairs, lawyer Murat Bakan, CHP Deputy Chairman Gamze Taşçıer, CHP Istanbul provincial executives, and Ahmet Özer's daughter, lawyer Seraf Özer, held a press conference in front of the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan. 

Speaking at the statement, CHP's Murat Bakan made the following remarks: 

“Considering the kind of campaign the government conducts during election periods, this is a ridiculous ground for arrest. In fact, he is being held accountable for money that never existed in his account and that he never possessed. At no point in his life has Ahmet Özer had 36 thousand dollars in his account. There was no 50 million [lira] money transfer, nor was there any such money. In other words, something that could be understood with a very simple examination has been made the subject of an arrest. A festival organized by associations in Esenyurt coming together is also cited as a subject of the accusation. The mayor had no involvement in the selection of the artists, nor did a single kuruş come out of the Esenyurt Municipality's coffers for this. Because of a festival that the District Governor opened and attended, this was also made a ground for arrest.

(Regarding the Remzi Kartal accusation) It is known that he is a fellow townsman, a former member of parliament, someone he knew from there, that there is no evidence regarding the content of the meeting, and that the meeting in question took place a very long time ago. During the same period, about 12-13 years ago, AK Party MP Hüseyin Yayman also met with him. Yayman made a speech in parliament just yesterday, saying, 'I met with him as an academic.' This is also tragicomic. It is normal for an AK Party MP to meet with Remzi Kartal as an academic; it is not a cause for any accusation. But it is considered a crime for a politician who is also an academic, has written 38 books, and has done nothing in life but think, to meet with Remzi Kartal, who is his fellow townsman and from the same tribe. 

'THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY HAS ONCE AGAIN BEEN TRAMPLED UPON'

It is alleged that Ahmet Özer had 694 different conversations. None of us have the right to query a citizen's criminal record or obtain their police record. We cannot know for which crime every person we talk to is being tried or not. Especially we politicians make hundreds of phone calls a day. This allegation cannot be a ground for arrest either. 

Another accusation is a humor magazine allegedly seized in his office. They have included this in the file as evidence, even though lawyers were not present, no images were taken while digital materials were being seized, and every stage of the evidence collection process was unlawful, and it became a ground for arrest. 

Our lawyer colleagues submitted the petition that eliminates all these grounds for arrest, along with the evidence. We also submitted to the file an opinion containing 38 pages of Supreme Court precedents and European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings from our esteemed professors working in law faculties at 3 separate universities. 

This arrest is both a punishment and something done so that the public forms an opinion of Ahmet Özer's guilt. The government has once again trampled upon the rule of law, democracy, and the independence of the judiciary. There are conscientious prosecutors in this country, even if they are under great pressure. We hope that a conscientious judge reviewing the appeal petition will do what the law requires and lift Ahmet Özer's detention.”