İmamoğlu recounts his experience during detention

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained following a raid on his home as part of an operation conducted under the instructions of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) President Erinç Sağkan visited İmamoğlu, who is still being held in custody, to obtain information about his health and the detention process. Sağkan shared his observations while appearing on İsmail Küçükkaya's program on Halk TV.

"HIS HEALTH AND MORALE ARE VERY GOOD"

Stating that Ekrem İmamoğlu's health is good, Sağkan said, "I visited him at the Vatan Police Headquarters. His health is in good condition, and his morale is very high. He shared with us his concerns regarding the country, particularly how these dawn operations conducted by Chief Public Prosecutor's Offices erode public trust and faith in the law. He explained both the negative impact this has on citizens and the negative repercussions for the economy in Turkey."

Noting that İmamoğlu expressed the concerns of society in general rather than personal anxieties, Sağkan stated that the detention process has lasted approximately four days and that there is a confidentiality order on the file. 

"HE IS BEING HELD IN A DETENTION CELL"

Evaluating the conditions under which Ekrem İmamoğlu is being held, Sağkan stated that he is staying alone in a detention cell. Sağkan said, "He is in custody; they are being held in detention cells. When a lawyer comes for a visit, he is taken out of the cell to meet with the lawyer. When I went, he was alone in the cell. He is able to meet with his lawyers," he stated. He noted that while there were some initial obstacles in the process of lawyers meeting with İmamoğlu, these issues were resolved in a short time.

'HEALTH CHECK WAS CONDUCTED AT THE POLICE STATION'

Sagkan stated that Imamoglu's health checks were conducted at the Police Headquarters instead of the Forensic Medicine Institute. Expressing that this situation could lead to misunderstandings, Sagkan said, "A law enforcement officer should not be present during a person's health check. If a person has been subjected to ill-treatment, they should be able to tell the physician in a free environment without the pressure of a law enforcement officer, as the primary purpose of the report to be issued is to ensure that individuals are not subjected to such pressure or ill-treatment."

"THE PRACTICE IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG"

Emphasizing that the method used in health checks is incorrect, Sagkan stated, "In this sense, although it may appear correct from the outside, the practice is absolutely wrong. The person should be referred directly to a hospital and examined by a physician without a law enforcement officer present."

Stating that Imamoglu was satisfied with the courtesy shown to him during the detention process, Sagkan concluded his remarks by saying, "Up until the moment I saw him last night, Ekrem Bey shared with us that he had no complaints regarding his situation, that there was absolutely no ill-treatment or anything of that nature, and on the contrary, he was treated with great courtesy."