'Summoning TÜSİAD executives to testify under police escort is a show of force': 'Those who said we were deceived back then'

Following criticisms from AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his parliamentary group meeting, another investigation has been launched into TÜSİAD. 

An investigation has been initiated against TÜSİAD President Orhan Turhan, and it was stated that instructions were given to police teams to bring Turhan and Ömer Arif Aras in for questioning. Turhan and Aras were taken to provide their statements under police escort.

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into TÜSİAD President Orhan Turhan and High Advisory Council President Ömer Arif Aras on charges of attempting to influence the judiciary and disseminating misleading information. Police were assigned to bring both individuals in to provide statements to the prosecutor's office.

The statement from the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is as follows:

“During the ongoing investigation, it was determined that in his speech at the association's general assembly held on 13/02/2025, the individual named Orhan TURHAN, the president of TÜSİAD, made statements regarding certain investigations and prosecutions being conducted by judicial authorities that were suggestive and directive toward the judiciary, contrary to the truth, contained disinformation, and were capable of disturbing public peace. Consequently, within the scope of the ongoing investigation, it was decided to initiate an ex officio investigation against the suspect Orhan TURHAN for the crimes of Publicly Disseminating Misleading Information and Attempting to Influence a Fair Trial, and instructions were given to the Istanbul Police Department Security Branch Directorate to ensure that the suspects Orhan TURHAN and Mehmet Ömer Arif ARAS are made available at our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.”

TUNCAY MOLLAVEİSOĞLU REACTED

The images of two prominent figures in the Turkish economy being taken to testify under police escort drew reactions. Journalist and 12punto columnist Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu also reacted to the events with a social media post.

In his post on his social media account, Mollaveisoğlu stated that the TÜSİAD executives could have gone to testify if they had been invited by phone, arguing that this situation was a "show of force."

Reminding that similar processes had been experienced before, Mollaveisoğlu questioned how those who expressed regret over past injustices would explain what is happening today.

TÜSİAD yöneticilerinin polis nezaretinde ifadeye çağrılması bir güç gösterisidir.
Telefon ile davet edilince de ifadeye gidebilecek insanlar…
Biz bu filmi gördük, yaşadık…
O dönemde pişman olduk, kandırıldık diyenler bugün yapılan hukuksuzlukları nasıl açıklayacaklar?

— Tuncay Mollaveisoglu (@TMollaveisoglu) February 19, 2025

News Source: 12punto