CHP's Bülbül claims 'isolation is being applied' to Ekrem İmamoğlu: Ministry of Justice denies

Bülbül asked, “Why is my visit to our mayors and the Gezi prisoners being blocked?” He stated, “As a deputy, my meeting with Ekrem İmamoğlu is being blocked by the ministry. This means these reports that have emerged were true. Isolation is being applied by the Ministry of Justice to our imprisoned presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu.”

Sharing his thoughts on the matter via his social media account, Bülbül said:

“As a deputy elected by the votes of the people, spokesperson for the CHP group in the Justice Committee, and a legal professional for over 30 years, I submitted a request for permission to the Ministry of Justice on Monday, June 8, stating that I wished to visit our presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, our mayors, elected deputy Can Atalay, and Gezi prisoners Selçuk Kozağaçlı and Tayfun Kahraman, who are held captive in Silivri, on Friday, June 12. In another petition, I stated that I wished to visit our Metropolitan Mayor Mustafa Bozbey, who is held captive in Bursa Prison, on Monday, June 15. On Monday evening, just a few hours after my request, my visit request for Mustafa Bozbey was approved. However, there had been no response regarding my visit to Silivri Prison. Yesterday morning (Wednesday, June 10), I received a phone call from the ministry informing me that my visit to Silivri Prison had been ‘rejected.’

"Why was my visit rejected?"

I ask Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek: Why is my visit to our presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, as a deputy and lawyer elected by the votes of the people, being blocked? Why is my visit to our mayors and the Gezi prisoners being blocked? When I ask on the phone why it was rejected, they say, ‘we have no information.’ Mr. Gürlek, then you provide us with the information. Why was my visit rejected? I am asking for the answer to this on behalf of millions.”

Chief Public Prosecutor's Office denies allegations

A few days ago, reports emerged stating that ‘meetings between Ekrem İmamoğlu and deputies have been banned.’ Immediately afterward, the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued a statement saying, ‘It has been observed that posts have been made regarding the claim that meetings between Ekrem and deputies have been banned. The visitation rights of all detainees and convicts remaining in our penal institutions are being fully exercised within the framework of the legislation, and the content of the mentioned post does not reflect the truth. An investigation has been initiated by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the users of the social media accounts where the post was made, within the scope of Article 217/A of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).’

"The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is clearly misinforming the public"

My meeting with Ekrem İmamoğlu as a deputy was blocked by you, that is, by the ministry. This means these reports that have emerged were true. In other words, ‘isolation is being applied by the Ministry of Justice to our imprisoned presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu.’ But the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is issuing a statement saying this is not true. The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is clearly misinforming the public; it is not telling the truth.”