Arrest requested for former Sarıyer Mayor Şükrü Genç!

An arrest has been requested for 26 people, including former Sarıyer Mayor Şükrü Genç, among the suspects detained on charges of providing financing to the DHKP/C armed terrorist organization.

In his statement at the courthouse, Genç said, "It is out of the question for me to help an organization that has targeted me. I am a Turkish citizen who loves his country and nation."

Denying the accusations directed at him, Genç stated in his testimony, "I did not provide financial support to a terrorist organization. It was reported to us by state institutions that there was a building in the neighborhood formerly known as Armutlu and now known as Baltalimanı, which was built on behalf of the organization, and that there was a demolition order for this building. Upon this, a date was set between the institutions for the demolition of the building constructed on behalf of the organization, with the participation of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), the Sarıyer Municipality, which I was presiding over at the time, and law enforcement forces. And the law enforcement forces took the necessary precautions at the specified place and time." Expressing that on the day of the demolition, the İBB did not participate in the demolition and did not send any vehicles, citing that the vehicles were faulty, Genç said, "The demolition of the building belonging to the organization in the specified neighborhood was carried out with the vehicles belonging to the Sarıyer District Municipality, of which I was the mayor, accompanied by law enforcement forces. My residence is also near the building that was demolished. Because I was the Mayor, I was always in touch with the public."

'I AM A TURKISH CITIZEN WHO LOVES MY NATION'

In the continuation of his statement, Şükrü Genç said:

"After the demolition, on a day I don't remember exactly, while I was visiting tradesmen, a tradesman came up to me and said, referring to the organization in question regarding a building we had demolished, 'Your name has been put on the organization's death list. Take care of yourself.' I conveyed this information to the Sarıyer District Police Department at the time. In a conversation we had, the District Police Chief told me that my house was being watched by the organization and that they would take measures around my residence for this reason. After these events, a protection police officer was assigned to me by the Istanbul Governor's Office. I definitely did not give money to any organization or member of an organization, neither on my own behalf nor on behalf of the municipality. No such money was ever paid. These allegations are baseless. Moreover, I was a target of this organization. For this reason, I was under state protection.

During my term as mayor, I did not provide any vehicles to any organization or illegal entity," he replied. At the end of his statement, Genç said, "I believe that I have fulfilled my approximately 15-year mayoral duty properly. It is out of the question for me to help an organization that has targeted me. I am a Turkish citizen who loves his country and nation."

News Source: 12punto