Breaking News: Request to merge CHP's party congress case with the IMM case! Next hearing on April 1st

The new hearing for the criminal case filed over allegations of "irregularities" at the Republican People's Party's (CHP) 38th Ordinary Congress will be held today in Ankara. The file will be addressed at the Ankara 26th Criminal Court of First Instance.

PRISON SENTENCES SOUGHT FOR 12 PEOPLE

Within the scope of the case, prison sentences ranging from 1 to 3 years are being requested for 12 individuals, including CHP's presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, CHP İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Cemil Tugay, and CHP İstanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik.

LÜTFÜ SAVAŞ IS THE COMPLAINANT, KILIÇDAROĞLU IS THE 'VICTIM'

In the case file, former Hatay Metropolitan Mayor Lütfü Savaş is listed as the complainant, while the 7th Chairman of the CHP, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, is listed as the victim.

ONLY ÖZGÜR ÇELİK ATTENDED

In the previous hearing, only defendant Özgür Çelik attended, as İmamoğlu and Akpolat had requested to be excused from the hearings. 10 witnesses were heard during the session.

"THEY MADE PROMISES"

In this context, Hatip Karaaslan, who was heard as a witness, alleged that promises were made to the delegates. Witness Yusuf Göğerkaya also stated, "Erzurum Provincial Chairman Serhat Can Eş said, 'I will negotiate with both candidates for chairman; we will vote for whichever one offers more money.'"

Another individual heard as a witness at the hearing was CHP Bursa Mustafakemalpaşa District Chairman Serda Tandoğan, who said: "During the convention, we were staying at a hotel whose name I don't recall. The provincial chairman went somewhere in the evening and returned around 3:00 AM. We went down for breakfast in the morning. There was a stand for Özgür Özel. Leather bags were being distributed to the convention delegates who signed. It wasn't money. Since I didn't sign, I don't know what was inside. There were also phone boxes on the floor in the hall. iPhone boxes were on the floor at the entrance of the hall."

"I DID NOT SEE ANY PHONE BOXES"

Witness and former CHP Hakkâri Provincial Executive Kemal Ölmez also stated, "While moving to the second round, we were told repeatedly, 'Come, let us take care of you.' Because we did not accept, they expelled me." When asked by İmamoğlu's defense attorney, Çağlar Çağlayan, "Did you see any phone boxes on the floor in the hall?" he replied, "No, I did not. But they bought off 4 delegates right next to me. They had called them to the Parliament."

One of the witnesses heard at the hearing was former CHP Party Assembly member Tolgahan Erdoğan, who has been bringing these allegations to the agenda since the beginning of the process.

Erdoğan, who claimed to have been a journalist for 3 years, alleged that although delegates were not staying at the JW Marriott Hotel, Özgür Çelik and İmamoğlu were staying there, adding: "When I went there, many delegates were there as well. İmamoğlu and Çelik were holding meetings."

Erdoğan alleged that he was played audio recordings of Beykoz Municipality Chief of Staff Veli Gümüş negotiating at the Istanbul Provincial Congress, and that he left the hotel after this.

"WHEN I HEARD IT, I WROTE ABOUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA"

Stating that he was an official at the convention, not a delegate, Erdoğan said, 'A 1.5-hour break was given after the candidate speeches. During this time, I messaged Mahmut Tanal, saying, "Why aren't you announcing the signature counts? You are manipulating the process." Because the delegate sees those signature counts and casts their vote accordingly.'

"A delegate said he received an apartment from Kiptaş. When I heard this, I wrote about it on social media," Erdoğan said, alleging that convention delegate Turgut Koç offered him $500,000 not to testify in this case, adding, "He told me he could secure space for me in newspapers and on TV."

'I HEARD IT FROM UBER DRIVERS'

Explaining that he returned to Istanbul after the convention ended and was sitting at a cafe in Moda with a group of friends, Erdoğan said, "We brought up the allegation that 4 currency exchange offices were opened at the CHP convention and that $50 million was transported via Uber. I heard this by chance from Uber drivers sitting at the table next to us while we were at that cafe. When I asked out of curiosity, they said, 'Brother, that's a tourism zone. Normal vehicles can't enter; only taxis or Ubers can.' As a former banker, $50 million seemed normal to me. Because $6-7 million fits in one suitcase, 5-6 suitcases are enough for $50 million. When I researched this issue, I learned that these currency exchange offices were owned by relatives from Mardin. I brought these allegations to the agenda, and I received no denial from the currency exchange offices."

'TELL US WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN OR HEARD REGARDING THE CONVENTION'

Claiming that the son-in-law of the owner of Taş Döviz, one of the currency exchange offices in question which is under investigation as part of the IMM case, called him, Erdoğan said, "We met outside, and he asked me, 'Where did you hear about this?' Then he told me, 'This is true,' and offered a scholarship for my son at Doğa College. I stated that I could not accept this."

WARNING FROM THE JUDGE TO ERDOĞAN

When Erdoğan touched upon the municipal investigations being conducted in Istanbul during his testimony, the presiding judge said, "Tell us what you have seen or heard regarding the convention."

PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE AND COURT TESTIMONY CONTRADICT

Erdoğan claimed that CHP figures offered him money not to testify in the case. When the lawyer for Çelik, Veli Gündüz, asked about the matter, noting that the prosecutor's statement reflected the discussion as it happened in the hall and that the prosecutor's statement and the court testimony contradicted each other on this point, Erdoğan said, "I just saw the prosecutor's statement. I don't remember how it was phrased there. It happened the way I described it here." Upon the lawyer's follow-up, "So you are saying you gave a false statement to the prosecutor, or the prosecutor did something wrong," Erdoğan replied, "No, I did not give a false statement. It happened the way I described it here."

'I DID NOT SEE IT, I HEARD IT'

In response to the lawyers' question, "You state that you have been a journalist for 3 years, meaning you have been practicing journalism since the convention debates began," Erdoğan replied, "I have been working as a social security-registered employee at a tourism company for 30 years. As for my journalistic activities, I have appeared on many websites and television programs. Journalists close to the CHP are not even communications graduates anyway."

When the lawyers' questions regarding his claim of being a journalist increased, Erdoğan stated, "I am here as a CHP volunteer. You can put my journalism aside. I am standing here as a citizen."

When İmamoğlu's lawyer, Çağlar Çağlayan, asked about the conduct of the Convention Chair, İmamoğlu, at the convention, Erdoğan stated that he did not enter the voting area because he was not a poll worker, that he never encountered İmamoğlu, and that he heard from journalist Şaban Sevinç that some votes had been crossed out. When the judge asked, "Is there any irregularity you witnessed?", Erdoğan stated that he did not see it and that he heard it from Şaban Sevinç's program on TV100.

'YOU WILL EVALUATE THIS TOO'

When Çağlar Çağlayan pointed out that testimony in the judicial system is based on "first-hand observation," Erdoğan defended himself by saying, "I said what I heard is what I heard, and what I saw is what I saw."

Following Erdoğan's statement that he had read the minutes of the previous hearing, Attorney Çağlar Çağlayan told the judge, "You should evaluate this as well. The witness read the proceedings before the hearing he was invited to."

After Erdoğan's testimony, the court took a recess. Following the break, the proceedings moved to the statements of the defense attorneys.

'THEY STATED THEY DID NOT PERSONALLY WITNESS ANYTHING'

Attorney Çağlar Çağlayan stated that they would provide their detailed statements later, adding, "The witnesses heard up to this stage have stated that they did not personally witness anything, and in most cases, they heard the allegations from someone else without naming names. Although the case was opened based on these statements, these inconsistent, baseless, and false claims are not sufficient to establish a criminal conviction."

Other defense attorneys also stated that they did not accept the points raised against their clients in the witness testimonies, noting that they would submit written statements and requested that the deficiencies in the case file be addressed.

CASE ADJOURNED TO APRIL 1ST

The prosecutor requested that the case be merged with the IMM case being heard at the Istanbul 40th High Criminal Court. 

The court announced its interim decision at the hearing, ruling that a writ be sent to the Istanbul 40th High Criminal Court for the purpose of merging the current file with the IMM case. It was stated that if a favorable opinion is provided regarding the merger, a decision to consolidate the files will be made without the need for an additional hearing.

The case was adjourned to April 1st.

On the other hand, it was learned that the prosecutor's request to merge the file with the "Aziz İhsan Aktaş" case was not found appropriate by the court.

News Source: 12punto