Cem Küçük defends the release of the Polats: 'Not paying taxes is not considered a serious crime in the eyes of society in Turkey'
Cem Küçük, a columnist for the Türkiye newspaper known for his proximity to the government, commented on the Polat case, in which no defendants remain in custody, stating, "Not paying taxes is not considered a serious crime in the eyes of society in Turkey."
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An interim decision has been announced in the Polat case, which has been closely followed by Turkey.
There are no longer any detainees in the trial of Dilan and Engin Polat, a couple accused of 'establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes,' 'laundering assets derived from crime,' and 'violating the Law on the Regulation of Betting and Games of Chance.'
In the hearing held at the Anatolian 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, a release decision was issued for the 4 remaining detainees: Engin Polat, Sezgin Polat, Alper Kürşat Polat, and accountant Ahmet Gün.
Cem Küçük, a columnist for the Türkiye newspaper known for his proximity to the government, wrote a controversial article regarding the release of Dilan Polat and Engin Polat.
Defending the release decision granted for the Polats, Küçük wrote, "Not paying taxes is not considered a serious crime in the eyes of society in Turkey."
Küçük used the following expressions in his article:
"Now, the police and the judiciary carried out a major operation in plain sight. They cited money laundering, tax evasion, etc. They made all kinds of accusations. Tax evasion is a serious crime, but I wonder if there is anyone in Turkey who does not evade taxes? Then there is the issue of fake invoices. Using fake invoices to avoid paying taxes is something very common in Turkey. Of course, it is a serious crime. But not paying taxes is not considered a serious crime in the eyes of society in Turkey..." wrote Küçük, adding, "Let's come to the money laundering allegations... There is not a single concrete piece of evidence that Dilan and Engin Polat laundered money or laundered gambling money. I read the 73-page indictment. There is nothing other than what a secret witness described. What that secret witness described is not credible either. The MASAK report is also there. There is no crime that has been proven."
"DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE IN THE MEDIA"
Küçük concluded his article with the words: "The reaction given by society in general is also justified. Because it was written and drawn that Dilan and Engin Polat committed serious crimes. Society believed this too, anyone would have believed it. Everyone should question everything. Do not believe everything you see in the media. Question!.."