CHP statement following release decision for Alaattin Köseler: Mayors must return to their duties

In the Beykoz Municipality case, 26 people, including the detained Mayor Alaattin Köseler, appeared before a judge at the Anatolian 17th High Criminal Court for the first time after 183 days. In the indictment, where the suspended Mayor Köseler is considered the 'founder of a corruption organization' and Chief of Staff Veli Gümüş and staff member Metin Ülgey are considered 'managers,' it was requested that all 26 individuals be punished for various crimes. It was requested that Köseler be sentenced to between 17 years and 6 months and 67 years and 3 months in prison on charges of "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes," "rigging a tender in a chain manner through fraudulent behavior," "qualified fraud in a chain manner," and "forgery of official documents in a chain manner."

The defendants appeared before the judge today at the Istanbul Anatolian 17th High Criminal Court on the 3rd day of the first hearing. 13 detained defendants, including Alaattin Köseler, as well as some non-detained defendants and lawyers were present in the courtroom. A total of 26 defendants, including Alaattin Köseler, presented their defenses during the hearing.

In the case where 26 defendants, 13 of whom are detained, including the suspended Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler, are being tried, the court decided to release all detained defendants.

CHP Deputy Chair Gül Çiftci, who made a written statement on her X account regarding the release of Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler and 12 other detainees, said the following:

"The release of our Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler, who has been held in prison unlawfully for months, does not eliminate the human rights violations that have been inflicted; on the contrary, it reveals how severe the ways in which the judiciary interferes with politics are.

Detention is an exceptional measure according to the clear provisions of the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. Despite this, the months-long detentions of our elected mayors without even an indictment being prepared are being applied like 'execution of a sentence,' and the right to a fair trial is being clearly violated.

Keeping our mayors, who came to office with the votes of the people, in prison and suspending them from their duties is not only an individual human rights violation but also a usurpation of the right to vote and be elected. We emphasize once again: The principle is trial without detention. Indictments must be prepared within a reasonable time. The judiciary must be removed from being a tool to design politics."

"IT IS DISREGARDING THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE"

CHP Deputy Chair Sevgi Kılıç also stated the following:

"Our Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler, who has been held unlawfully in the Silivri dungeon for months, and the 13 people with him have been released. Unlawfully detaining an elected mayor is disregarding the will of the people, and this cannot be compensated. The fundamental rule of law is trial without detention. The release decision given today is proof that this principle has been violated from the very beginning. What needs to be done now is for the indictments of all our mayors and fellow travelers to be prepared immediately and for them to be released."

CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik, who was removed from office by a court decision, also included the following statements in his post on his X account:

"ALL TRIALS MUST BE CONDUCTED WITHOUT DETENTION"

"Our Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler, who has been held in prison unfairly and unlawfully for months, was released a short while ago. On this occasion, I underline once again: All trials must be conducted without detention. Our mayors, elected by the votes of the people, must return to their duties. Indictments must be prepared as soon as possible. Legal processes must be removed from being a tool to design politics."