Bülent Arınç reacts to the Süleymancılar investigation: 'They were people who served the Quran'

Former Parliament Speaker Bülent Arınç made assessments regarding the investigation publicly known to be directed at the Süleymancılar community. Arınç stated that he trusts the statements from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Interior, which indicate that the investigation is being conducted not against the community itself, but regarding allegations of criminal offenses by certain individuals.

However, Arınç argued that there were practices during the investigation process that violated the Criminal Procedure Code, drawing attention to the principle of confidentiality of the investigation and the presumption of innocence. He stated that individuals should not be declared guilty before an indictment is prepared and accepted by the court.

''As a result of this process, unfortunately, people are being executed on social media. In the print and visual media, people who have no connection to or knowledge of the subject are passing judgment, and distorted statements are being used regarding people's assets or what they have done through certain visuals.''

Emphasizing the importance of freedom of the press and the public's right to information, Arınç said that, in contrast, the right to a fair investigation and a fair trial must also be protected. Arınç expressed that the correct method in investigations is to move from evidence to the individual, and that searching for evidence based on accusations is wrong.

Recalling that the issue of exhumations has also come to the agenda during the process, Arınç argued that people without knowledge in the fields of law and forensic medicine are "trying to find new criminals."

COMMUNITY AND SECT DEBATE

Arınç also claimed that communities and sects are being targeted through the investigation. Reacting to calls from some circles to "shut down communities and sects," Arınç said that these structures are sociological realities and have existed in Turkey for many years.

In his statement, Arınç also commemorated Muammer Aksoy, a jurist and the founding president of the Association for Supporting Contemporary Life (Atatürkçü Düşünce Derneği), noting that Aksoy had served as the lawyer for Kemal Kaçar, the leader of the Süleymancılar, who was tried after the September 12 coup. Arınç also conveyed Aksoy's positive assessments regarding the Süleymancılar.

Emphasizing that he has had contact with the Süleymancılar since the past but has never been a member of the community, Arınç said he knew Kemal Kaçar from his law school years. Stating that the structure led by Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan provides Quran education in Turkey, Arınç said, "I have had friendly relations with them in all the cities I have been in and everywhere I have gone. Because they were truly people who served the Quran."

Arınç also stated that he and the late Ahmet Arif Denizolgun were elected as members of parliament in the same year, and revealed that during the 2011 election period, he held several private meetings with Denizolgun with the knowledge of the then-AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Arınç noted that he could not secure support for the AK Party in these meetings, but they did find the opportunity to discuss various topics.

News Source: 12punto