Müyesser Yıldız reports from the courtroom: Zafer Party leader Ümit Özdağ acquitted in MIT case
The court has issued acquittal rulings in defamation cases filed against Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ by former Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin and a former HDP deputy. Ümit Özdağ was also acquitted in the MIT case.
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Müyesser YILDIZ 12punto.com.tr
The trial of Zafer Party Chairman Prof. Ümit Özdağ, who faced up to 7 years in prison and a political ban on charges of revealing the names of 2 MIT personnel martyred in Libya in 2020, has begun.
Prior to this trial, defamation cases filed against Özdağ by former Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin and the HDP were heard.
Özdağ defended his "FETÖ" accusation against İdris Naim Şahin by stating, "Because the political wing of FETÖ was not investigated, İdris Naim Şahin was not pursued. If the political wing had been investigated, Şahin would have been the first to be targeted."
ÜMİT ÖZDAĞ ACQUITTED
The prosecutor requested that Özdağ be acquitted in the İdris Naim Şahin case, as the legal elements of the crime of defamation were not met.
The court also unanimously decided to acquit Özdağ, as the legal elements of the crime were not met.
Regarding the case filed by a former HDP deputy, Ümit Özdağ said, "I stand by those words today as well. I will continue to defend our martyrs, our veterans, and this homeland."
The prosecutor also requested Özdağ's acquittal in this case.
ALSO ACQUITTED IN THE MIT CASE
While denying the accusation of exposing martyred MIT personnel, Özdağ emphasized that the MIT had not filed a criminal complaint against him. Özdağ pointed out that the prosecutor had clearly written the names of the martyred MIT personnel in the indictment sent to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) regarding him.
In the MIT case, the prosecutor also submitted an opinion for Özdağ's acquittal on the grounds that the legal elements of the crime were not met, while requesting that a criminal complaint be filed with the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to identify the person or persons who first disclosed the names of the MIT personnel.
Following the prosecutor's opinion, Prof. Özdağ stated that this was the first time he had seen the Constitution's article stating that all citizens are equal before the law being applied, adding, "I find this important and valuable."