It has been reported that the elected and suspended Mayor of Izmit Municipality, Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet, did not request her own release during her latest detention review. Hürriyet's lawyer, Eray Akbal, said that his client's primary request is for the individuals who were detained alongside her to be released.
During simultaneous operations conducted on July 20, 31 people were taken into custody; some individuals, including Hürriyet, were subsequently detained. Hürriyet faces accusations of "establishing a criminal organization," "rigging bids," and "bribery."
Hürriyet, who has been held at the Silivri No. 9 Penal Institution for over three months, has appeared before a judge four times to date as part of the evaluation of her detention status.
Lawyer Akbal stated that Hürriyet did not request her own release during the latest review, noting, "Mayor Fatma declared that she did not request her own release during the latest detention review. This matter is also recorded in the minutes. However, despite our client's approach, we are filing a petition for her release."
Akbal emphasized that Hürriyet's main concern is her colleagues who were detained with her. According to Akbal, Hürriyet states that she wants them to be released first, noting that they are people she believes were detained unjustly and are being kept away from their families.
Stating that they believe the process is not legal, Akbal noted that there is no question in the file that Hürriyet has been unable to answer. Akbal emphasized that the allegations are proceeding more through witness statements than through documentary evidence.
SHE HAD PREVIOUSLY SAID, "I WOULD RATHER SERVE MY TIME THAN JOIN THE AKP"
Following her arrest, Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet had also reacted strongly to allegations that she would join the AKP. On July 29, her lawyer Eray Akbal, who visited Hürriyet in prison, shared a message on his social media account that the mayor wanted to be conveyed to the public.
Akbal had used the following expressions in his statement:
"I visited our Izmit Mayor, Ms. Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet, in prison. Ms. Fatma wanted me to convey a message to you: 'I would rather serve my time than join the AKP.'"
News Source: 12punto
