CHP Istanbul indictment sparks debate: Cem Küçük says no conviction will come

Following allegations of irregularities in the CHP İstanbul Provincial Presidency elections, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office prepared an indictment on August 29.

In the indictment in question, prison sentences were requested for 10 party officials, including CHP İstanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik, as well as Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney and Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, who were arrested as part of investigations into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB).

Journalist Cem Küçük, known for his proximity to the government, harshly criticized the prepared indictment during a TV broadcast he attended. Arguing that the file is largely devoid of concrete evidence, Küçük used the following expressions:

"Of the 9-page indictment, 3 pages are about the suspects, 2 pages are minutes, and the last 3 pages are commentary. In other words, there is nothing serious here. I have very serious criticisms regarding this indictment."

"NO CONCRETE EVIDENCE"

Küçük stated that the testimonies of individuals named Tolgahan Erdoğan and Müslüm, which are included in the indictment, do not constitute reliable evidence. Küçük said, "They are also speaking in terms of 'I saw, I heard, I did.' So there is nothing concrete here. But despite this, it has been evaluated as witness testimony."

"NO CONVICTION WILL COME"

Emphasizing that there is no concrete evidence and stating that the indictment is weak, Küçük continued his criticisms with the following words: "It is a very weak indictment, but the prosecutor's office has requested punishment despite this. If you ask me, no conviction will come from this 9-page indictment. Because there is nothing concrete in the indictment. These need to be supported."