Striking 'Abdullah Çetinkaya' claim regarding the judiciary: 'They say if you have a matter, he will solve it'

Cumhuriyet columnist Barış Terkoğlu, in his column today, drew attention to the name Abdullah Çetinkaya, who has close relationships with many figures ranging from the bureaucracy to the judiciary, writing, “Çetinkaya has developed a reputation that is talked about in Ankara. They say, ‘If you have a matter in the judiciary, especially in the Court of Cassation, Abdullah Çetinkaya will solve it.’”

Stating that “He is very close to everyone from Constitutional Court members to Ministry of Justice bureaucrats, from Court of Cassation personnel to chief prosecutors, and critical figures in the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK),” Terkoğlu noted the following in his article:

“Çetinkaya has developed a reputation that is talked about in Ankara. They say, ‘If you have a matter in the judiciary, especially in the Court of Cassation, Abdullah Çetinkaya will solve it.’ No, you don’t even need to bring your file. Even if he read it, he wouldn’t understand it because he is not a legal professional. They say if you just give him the number, he will find your file and provide a remedy for your problem.

That is exactly why I would have liked to be in Abdullah Çetinkaya’s place. I would have said, ‘You made a mistake, Can Atalay, you should have come to me, not the Constitutional Court.’ Then I would have done what the Constitutional Court could not, and solved his file in a flash. Thus, the judicial conflict that plunged the state into crisis would never have occurred. I would have been of service to the country as well. And since God loves His servants who help others and makes their lives easier, fate would have made me wealthier and more generous. I would have bought gifts for my friends in the judiciary who are useful to the country and taken them on vacation.”