Lawyer Rezan Epözdemir's posts on 'hitmen and so-called journalists'

In posts on his social media account, Epözdemir stated: "Although the situation of all the defendants in the file is the same, the sole purpose of persistently attacking us and our clients is to apply psychological pressure on us to save Denizbank from liability and to cover up the crimes committed by its executives."

Epözdemir expressed the following:

"In order to influence tomorrow's hearing and the trial, Denizbank has maliciously had news reports published by media outlets with which they have commercial relationships, provide loans, or pay salaries, and has had manipulative and untrue posts made on the social media accounts of individuals known to be hitmen who have no respect in the public eye. My clients and I will resort to the necessary legal channels regarding these posts. First of all, all complaints made and being made by Denizbank are resulting in non-prosecution as they arrive, and we have filed complaints with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against Denizbank executives for slander pursuant to Article 267 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) for these reasons.

Specifically; 1) The 4 files with investigation numbers 2023/236336, 2023/230218, 2023/230231, 2023/230240 at the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, which Denizbank previously served to the press regarding the crimes of usury and damaging the bank's reputation against Selçuk İnan, Musa Mert Çetin, Emre Çolak, and Emrah Çolak, resulted in NON-PROSECUTION as they arrived, WITHOUT EVEN TAKING THE STATEMENTS OF THE CLIENTS, because the allegations were untrue and unlawful. In other words, it has been determined by a court decision that all of the complaints that Denizbank previously served to the press were untrue and manipulative.

2) Due to these slanders, complaints were filed by the clients against Hakan Ateş, Derya Kumru, Tanju Kaya, Burcu Çalıklı, and all other Denizbank executives in 2 separate files for slander.

3) Regarding the two complaints that Hakan Ateş and Denizbank made against me concerning the Megeve issue, which were also manipulated and presented to the press before, the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office did not grant PERMISSION FOR INVESTIGATION in accordance with the Attorneys' Law because THERE WAS NO CRIME and IT WAS UNTRUE, and a summary of proceedings (fezleke) was prepared on this matter. In other words, this statement and allegation also turned out to be empty and the file was closed.

4) In the news served to the press today, a complaint of forgery and fraud was made on the grounds that the documents given to Selçuk İnan by the bank in return for the money he deposited were fake, and for the first time in Turkish legal history, a complaint was filed against me as a legal monstrosity because I submitted the documents owned by the client to the case file in my capacity as a lawyer, due to my legal activities. Since the complaint against me is subject to special investigation permission according to the Attorneys' Law, the file was examined by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, and it was decided NOT TO GRANT PERMISSION FOR INVESTIGATION because LEGAL ACTIVITY IS NOT A CRIME and THERE IS NO CRIME regarding the file that is the subject of today's news, and a summary of proceedings was prepared in this context. In other words, the complaints that were previously made and closed, but were served to the press today in an immoral manner for the purpose of manipulation as if they were new, also turned out to be baseless.

5) Regarding the untrue complaints that were the subject of the news served to the press today in a manipulative manner as if they were still pending despite having been closed, 2 complaints have been filed by both myself and my clients against HAKAN ATEŞ, MEHMET AYDOĞDU, and other Denizbank officials for the crime of slander pursuant to TCK Art. 267.

6) At the same time, the complaints we previously filed against Hakan Ateş, Sermin Tekin, Tanju Kaya, Ali Murat Dizdar, Cenk İzgi, and other bank executives for concealing, destroying, or altering evidence of a crime pursuant to TCK Art. 281 and for shielding an offender pursuant to TCK Art. 283 are still pending, and investigations are being conducted by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

7) Likewise, two complaints have been filed for the crimes of unlawfully providing personal data and disclosing information and documents that are customer secrets pursuant to TCK Art. 136 and 239.

8) Complaints have also been filed against Denizbank executives for the crime of slander pursuant to TCK Art. 267 regarding the complaints served to the press in an immoral manner today. Likewise, we have also made an application to the Personal Data Protection Authority regarding the bank.

In conclusion; decisions of non-prosecution and refusal to grant investigation permission have been issued regarding all 6 complaints made by Denizbank so far. Regarding the complaint that was served in a malicious and immoral manner today, intended to influence tomorrow's hearing, the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has also decided not to grant investigation permission and a summary of proceedings has been prepared.

Despite this fact, the serving of this news is malicious. As I explained in detail in the previous tweet, there are many complaints filed by us and our clients and ongoing investigations against Denizbank officials. Although the situation of all the defendants in the file is the same, the sole purpose of persistently attacking us and our clients is to apply psychological pressure on us to save Denizbank from liability and to cover up the crimes committed by its executives.

These unfair, malicious, and manipulative complaints will never harm our struggle for justice. It should be known that the independent Turkish judiciary will reveal the material truth without remaining under any influence or pressure, and justice will be served. Let no one, including Denizbank and its executives, have any doubts about this..."