Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı's testimony revealed: 'I made the post subject to the crime with lust and excitement'

An investigation had been launched into Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı, known for his proximity to the AKP, due to his claims that "a trustee will be appointed to the Republican People's Party (CHP)." 

Kütahyalı was apprehended by police teams affiliated with the Bolu Provincial Security Directorate on the Çaydurt section of the TEM Highway while he was traveling in his vehicle.

TRAVEL BAN

Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı, who was taken into custody, was referred to the Bolu İzzet Baysal State Hospital Central Unit for health checks following his processing at the police station. After his procedures were completed there, Kütahyalı was brought to the Bolu Courthouse. 

Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı gave his testimony to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office via the SEGBİS system. Following his testimony, he was released by the Duty Judgeship, to which he was referred via the SEGBİS system, with the imposition of judicial control conditions and a travel ban.

TESTIMONY REVEALED

In his testimony, regarding his post claiming that "a trustee will be appointed to the CHP and that for this reason, the leave of security forces in Ankara has been cancelled," Kütahyalı said, "I am very sorry and regretful for causing the perception in question to form in the public eye, even if unintentionally, due to such a post. A few days before I made this post, due to the increase in rumors voiced by many of my journalist colleagues regarding claims that a trustee could be appointed to the CHP, I made the post subject to the crime with the lust and excitement created by the journalism profession I am a member of."

Regarding his post that "police deployments from Istanbul to Ankara are the harbinger of an operation to be carried out against the Keçiören and Etimesgut Municipalities in Ankara," Kütahyalı stated the following:

"I acted without thinking due to the 'success and excitement of being the first person to report the news' stemming from the journalism profession. As required by my journalism profession, during a phone call I had with a former official from the CHP, whose name I cannot mention right now, there was a retired security bureaucrat with them. During this conversation, they made clear statements that an investigation could be conducted regarding bribery and corruption allegations against the Etimesgut and Keçiören municipalities. Despite this, in the post I made, although the information I obtained was certain and reliable, I used cautious language such as 'I guess an operation is coming to Keçiören and Etimesgut tomorrow' without expressing a definitive opinion, as it concerned a judicial activity."

"I FEEL DEEP SORROW AND REGRET"

Defending that he made additional posts in the nature of a correction after his initial post, Kütahyalı said the following:

"In fact, in addition to all this, I further expressed my regret by quoting the statement made by the Minister of Justice, which was based on the posts I made and contained an opinion against me, saying, 'Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç is completely right. My predictions are completely wrong. Whatever Yılmaz Tunç says is right.' As required by my journalism profession, I do not want to provide the information of the relevant former CHP official and the retired bureaucrat who was with them regarding this second post I made."