Erdoğan Bayraktar had withdrawn his complaint: New development in the insult case where Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is being tried!

Former Chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has begun to be tried for the crime of 'publicly insulting a public official', with a requested prison sentence of 1 year and 2 months to 2 years and 4 months, due to remarks he made in 2014 allegedly insulting former Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Erdoğan Bayraktar.

While Kılıçdaroğlu did not attend the hearing held at the Istanbul 51st Criminal Court of First Instance, he was represented by his lawyers.

BAYRAKTAR WITHDREW HIS COMPLAINT

The court stated that the complainant, Erdoğan Bayraktar, submitted a petition to withdraw his complaint on September 14, 2023. It also noted that the defendant's lawyer had submitted a defense petition through the rogatory court.

"IT WAS A CASE THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN OPENED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING"

Making a defense at the hearing, Kılıçdaroğlu's lawyer Celal Çelik stated, "First of all, we request a dismissal decision on the grounds that speeches made in parliament cannot be the subject of investigation or prosecution in accordance with Article 83 of the Constitution. This file was a case that should never have been opened from the very beginning. The trial is still ongoing due to the dismissal decision previously given by the court and the subsequent stay of proceedings decision following the overturning of that ruling. If the court is of the opposite opinion, we will proceed to prove that the critical assessments made by our client were justified."

The Public Prosecutor, asked for his opinion at the hearing, requested that the file be sent to him for the preparation of the final opinion.

PROSECUTOR'S OPINION TO BE PREPARED

Announcing its interim decision, the court ruled that the file be sent to the Public Prosecutor for the preparation of the final opinion and adjourned the hearing.

News Source: İHA