Statement from Murat Çalık's lawyers following Constitutional Court's rejection

Lawyers for Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık, who was arrested as part of an investigation into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, have issued a statement regarding the Constitutional Court's rejection of their release application based on health grounds.

In the written statement signed by Çalık's lawyers Fatih Selami Mahmutoğlu, Cihan Ünal, and Zeynep S. Mahmutoğlu, it was emphasized that their client is experiencing health problems under prison conditions.

The statement included the following remarks:

"The client's health problems continue under prison conditions. We will continue our pursuit of justice in the Constitutional Court and other judicial authorities against the disproportionate, temporary measure of detention imposed on our client, for whom an indictment has not even been prepared yet."

In the full text shared with the public by Çalık's lawyers, attention was drawn to the individual application made to the Constitutional Court on August 26, 2025, and the following views were conveyed:

• The continuation of detention poses a serious risk to Çalık's right to life and personal liberty,
• His continued imprisonment is dangerous in terms of his health,
• Despite the Constitutional Court's rejection of the request, the client's health status must be closely monitored,
• The reports prepared by the İzmir Atatürk Training and Research Hospital specifically pointed to a "risk of recurrence,"
• The opinion of the Council of Forensic Medicine, however, failed to take this risk into account.

Continuing the statement, it was noted that they do not agree with the court's reasoning that "there is no concrete claim regarding the conditions of detention in the application form," and the following expressions were used:

“The risk that could lead to the re-emergence of cancer stems from his very presence in the penal institution. The state is obligated to protect the right to life and health of every individual under its supervision. Therefore, the only real and effective measure is the release of the client.”

Finally, it was stated that Çalık's health problems persist under prison conditions and that the detention measure is disproportionate while no indictment has even been prepared, noting that their legal struggle will continue.