Smuggled electronic cigarettes seized in CHP deputy's vehicle: Ün issues 'write about Soylu' statement

Teams from the Edirne Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Branch Directorate stopped a jeep they suspected at the TEM Highway Tolls.

F.A. and Ç.R.Ç., who were in the car, voluntarily handed over 530 empty electronic cigarette boxes, 2,242 electronic cigarette kits, 2,790 electronic cigarette heads, 1,275 electronic cigarette igniters, 130 liquid reservoirs, and 18 bottles of e-liquid to the teams.

The suspects were released after being processed for the crime of "customs smuggling." It was revealed that the car belonged to CHP Edirne Deputy Ediz Ün.

STATEMENT FROM EDİZ ÜN

In a written statement, Ediz Ün stated that he had handed over his vehicle to his advisor, Fatih Anıl, yesterday for maintenance at a service center in Istanbul.

Stating that he learned about the incident when the police informed him, Ün said that a deputy's permission is required to search vehicles registered to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), and that he granted this permission.

Ediz Ün said the following in his statement:

"I HANDED MY VEHICLE TO MY ADVISOR"

"As the Deputy for Edirne, I am working under the roof of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, dealing with the problems of both our country and Edirne, and spending time on their solutions. For our country and our city; I continue my work throughout our country and in our city of Edirne in line with the principles and goals of our founding leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, to bring the problems of our people, workers, laborers, producers, and farmers to the agenda. I use more than one vehicle to carry out this work and I travel frequently with these vehicles. Due to the recess of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, I am continuing my work in the Edirne region and I am using the vehicle with license plate 34 EKE 86, which is registered in my name, intensively during this period.

Like every deputy, I have official and unofficial assistants, advisors, and drivers who accompany me in these works. These people mostly use the cars registered in my name, deal with their repairs, maintenance, and cleaning, follow my daily tasks, and program my travels, providing my transportation when necessary.

The vehicle with license plate 34 EKE 86, which is registered in my name, is one of these vehicles, and a person named Fatih Anıl uses this vehicle from time to time. Since I also make village and district visits in the Edirne province with this vehicle due to the Parliament's recess, the vehicle's mileage maintenance was due, and therefore, the need for service maintenance in Istanbul arose. I handed over my vehicle on 20.09.2024 to Fatih Anıl, a person who has helped me with such tasks before and who uses my vehicle, trusting him to have the vehicle's service maintenance done at the authorized service in Istanbul."

"I REQUESTED A CRIMINAL RECORD BEFORE HIRING"

"Fatih Anıl is someone who applied to me for an official advisory position during my deputyship, and for this reason, I requested his criminal record. Contrary to what is mentioned in some media outlets, this person has no criminal record. This matter was checked by me personally. This criminal record will be shared when necessary. Some news sites have published fake news calling him a 'crime machine.' There is no such thing. Such an incident occurred as a result of the ignorance of one of my drivers. My greatest sorrow is that the name of the CHP is being used in such an incident.

Fatih Anıl, who took my vehicle that I handed over with trust and good intentions, met with a person named Çağatay Rahman Çetin and wanted to transport the electronic cigarette kits and similar materials, which are alleged to be smuggled and are the subject of the investigation, to Istanbul by loading them into the vehicle. This incident took place entirely outside of my knowledge, and I learned about the matter as a result of law enforcement units reaching out to me. When these individuals were stopped, it was impossible to search the vehicle without my consent because it is registered to the TBMM.

I personally requested that the vehicle be searched and that the necessary actions be taken if there were any items subject to a crime, and the necessary consent was given by me in this regard. For this reason, the law enforcement officers thanked me, and my support contributed to shortening the judicial process and identifying the criminal items and suspects. It would not be correct for me to provide more information on this matter as the judicial process is ongoing. The Edirne Police Department and judicial bodies are conducting the necessary investigation and prosecution."

"I FILED A COMPLAINT"

"The mentioned individuals wanted to use the privileges granted to me, such as being the Edirne Deputy, the vehicle's license plate being allocated to me, and having right-of-way in traffic, for the purpose of committing a crime without my knowledge and will.

I consented to the search of the vehicle, requested that it be determined whether there were any items subject to a crime inside, and personally requested that no favoritism be shown because the vehicle is registered to me in my capacity as a deputy, and that all necessary judicial proceedings be carried out against the suspects and that they not be subject to any privileges, and I have been following the process.

Again, on the day after the incident, 21.09.2024, I personally went to the courthouse with my lawyer and submitted the petition stating that I am filing a complaint against these individuals to the duty Public Prosecutor's Office. I have no knowledge of this incident, and I have filed a complaint against the suspects who used the opportunities provided to me by the honorable duty of being a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey for an unlawful act that constitutes a crime. I will follow the process so that they receive the heaviest punishment."

"THE POOL MEDIA SHOULD WRITE THE TRUTH ABOUT SÜLEYMAN SOYLU"

"I condemn the posts that exceed the dimension of criticism and are unfairly directed at the legal personality of the Republican People's Party, of which I am honored to be a member, and which damage the dignity of the deputy title and the moral dignity of the Gazi Parliament, of which I am a member, even though I have fulfilled all my duties with sensitivity regarding this matter, which I have no knowledge of or connection to, from near or far.

Although I have no fault other than trusting and acting in good faith like every human being, I am experiencing the negative consequences of trusting people. Many people other than me use many vehicles registered in my name at different times of the day or on different days of the week. Just as I cannot know the intentions of these people, it is impossible for me to follow all the actions they take. I would like to share my sadness with you because I trusted people who would dare to commit such an act and participate in such a crime. I am of the opinion that the agenda should not be occupied any further due to an incident that has already been referred to the judiciary; and that the real problems of our country and our city should be on the agenda.

Instead of producing fake news, the pool media should write the truth about Süleyman Soylu. I would like it to be known that even though my name is not mentioned legally in this incident, I will collect the necessary signatures with my own hands for an investigation to be opened against me. I make this statement due to the false news made about me and present my respects to the public."

News Source: 12punto