Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler appears in court for the first time

The criminal trial against Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler and 26 others is about to begin in the Şehit Hakan Kılıç conference hall at the Istanbul Anatolian Courthouse.

The court panel and the detained defendants have not yet entered the courtroom.

İBB Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan is also in the courtroom.

WARNING FROM THE PRESIDING JUDGE

Identity verification is ongoing in the courtroom. There was applause as Alaattin Köseler entered the hall. The presiding judge warned that if it happens again, they would remove those who applauded.

The indictment has not been read. Alaattin Köseler described the election process.

He stated, 'Before the election, very few believed the election would be won because the margin was so large.'

He continued his defense by explaining the contradictions in the witness testimonies.

Köseler continued:

"The companies that won the tenders are former companies. One of the companies has been receiving tenders from the Beykoz Municipality for 11 years, and another for 7 years.

Out of 78 tenders, only 8 were awarded to companies receiving tenders for the first time during this term.

When the indictment was being prepared, a portion (the accounting department section) was not examined at all."

Köseler argued that the witnesses were making slanderous accusations for political motives.

"There are many computer records. There is no such thing as retroactive tendering in municipalities. Like 'e-signers'!

This should not be this easy. We have been detained for 189 days, including the custody period. We were held at the Vatan Police Headquarters for 96 hours; it was a complete disgrace. Even a healthy person could not endure it for 1 hour. Whoever benefits from my detention should be looked into. I do not pay for work done without documentation before my time.

After my arrest in Beykoz, the person I wanted did not become the deputy.

I am choosing my words very carefully. That is all for now."

Alaattin Köseler has completed his defense.

The session has moved on to the question-and-answer portion and the statements of the defense counsel.

Regarding the allegation that he is the leader of an organization, the Beykoz Mayor stated that he does not know most of the defendants who are not municipal employees.

A. Köseler's Defense Counsel: "The Beykoz Municipality representative did not act like a representative; they did not even provide the tender files we would use in our defense for a month and a half."

The court has moved on to the statements of the other defendants.

The trial will last for 3 days.

News Source: 12punto