Important call from CHP's Emir to Chief Prosecutor Gürlek regarding 'Soytekin': We expect him to keep his word

Adem Soytekin, the owner of ASOY Construction, who had previously been released after benefiting from "effective remorse" provisions in the corruption investigation into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), has been re-arrested on the grounds that he provided inconsistent statements following a re-evaluation by the prosecutor's office.

Following Adem Soytekin's "effective remorse" testimony, Ekrem İmamoğlu's lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, had been arrested on charges of "membership in a criminal organization."

In his testimony, which the prosecutor's office described as "inconsistent" on October 21, Adem Soytekin had alleged that lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan offered to "smuggle him abroad."

İmamoğlu's lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, has been held in prison for months based on Adem Soytekin's statements.

CALL FROM MURAT EMİR TO AKIN GÜRLEK

Following this re-arrest, CHP Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir issued a notable call via his social media account. Calling for the necessary steps to be taken following Soytekin's re-arrest due to inconsistencies in his statements, Emir addressed Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek with the following words:

"Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek said on September 1, 'We do not have anyone in custody based solely on witness testimony. We do not make arrests without corroborating the testimony with evidence. If there is such a person, tell us and we will release them the very next day.' Adem Soytekin, the source of the slanders that led to the arrest of lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan, has been arrested because his statements were 'inconsistent,' and there is no other evidence left against Mehmet Pehlivan. We expect the Chief Prosecutor to keep his word, evaluate the new situation, and take action to end this unlawful and baseless detention."

Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek said on September 1, "We do not have anyone in custody based solely on witness testimony. We do not make arrests without corroborating the testimony with evidence. If there is such a person, tell us and we will release them the very next day." Adem Soytekin, the source of the slanders that led to the arrest of lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan, has been arrested because his statements…

— Murat Emir (@muratemirchp) October 30, 2025

News Source: 12punto