Ahmet Hakan targets Ekrem İmamoğlu: 'Political debates should not be conducted through prosecutors'

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is facing an investigation after his remarks about Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek were deemed to be 'in the nature of a threat'.

Hürriyet Editor-in-Chief Ahmet Hakan, known for his proximity to the government, pointed to İmamoğlu's comments about Gürlek and wrote: "A prosecutor is not a politician. They cannot engage in verbal sparring or polemics with politicians. Political debates are conducted through politicians. They are not conducted through prosecutors. The prosecutor is not only conducting an investigation into the Beşiktaş Municipality. Dragging him into the field of political polemics by name affects all the cases he is investigating. In other words, the judiciary is being undermined."

Arguing that the government's judicial policies should be criticized, Hakan stated, "This is a country where prosecutors have been murdered by terrorists. Wagging a finger at a prosecutor, and especially involving the prosecutor's children as Ekrem İmamoğlu did, makes the prosecutor and his family a target," and added the following:

“So, what should be done if it is believed that the investigations conducted by the prosecutor are political? The path is clear: The government's judicial policies should be criticized. The government's Minister of Justice should be criticized. The government's influence over the judiciary should be criticized. In short: The government should be criticized.”

The relevant section from Ahmet Hakan's column today, titled 'Fighting with the prosecutor instead of the government', is as follows:

"Fighting with a prosecutor is a wrong thing to do.

For three reasons:

- ONE: A prosecutor is not a politician. They cannot engage in verbal sparring or polemics with politicians. Political debates are conducted through politicians. They are not conducted through prosecutors.

- TWO: The prosecutor is not only conducting an investigation into the Beşiktaş Municipality. Dragging him into the field of political polemics by name affects all the cases he is investigating. In other words, the judiciary is being undermined.

- THREE: This is a country where prosecutors have been murdered by terrorists. Wagging a finger at a prosecutor, and especially involving the prosecutor's children as Ekrem İmamoğlu did, makes the prosecutor and his family a target.

So, what should be done if it is believed that the investigations conducted by the prosecutor are political?

The path is clear:

The government's judicial policies should be criticized. The government's Minister of Justice should be criticized. The government's influence over the judiciary should be criticized.

In short: The government should be criticized."

WHAT DID İMAMOĞLU SAY?

Reacting to the physical detention process targeting CHP Youth Branch President Aydın, IMM Mayor İmamoğlu said, “You summon him for a so-called statement, and you raid his house with 7-8 police officers. Your goal is to intimidate the nation. Chief Prosecutor, I am telling you; we will have no use for you, your mind has rotted... We will rip out the mind that manages you from the nation's consciousness, even to save your own children. We will rip it out so that no one knocks on your children's doors. Let us ensure peace for your home and your children, even for you,” he had stated.

"THREATENING REMARKS"

In a statement released by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was said, "An ex officio investigation has been launched against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu for the crimes of 'threat' and 'targeting persons assigned to counter-terrorism' due to his remarks in the nature of a threat against Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Mr. Akın Gürlek and his family during a program he attended today (20/01/2025)."

News Source: 12punto