Testimony of former AKP member Kocabıyık, arrested for 'Insulting the President': When I think the state is in danger

Kocabıyık made the following statements in his defense to the criminal judgeship of peace:

“I repeat my previous statements regarding the alleged accusation as my defense before your Court; I do not accept the accusations, I am innocent. I have been a public figure my entire life. I am a person everyone knows. In my younger years, I served as a consultant to Çiller and the government. I served as an opinion leader. This is a life path of approximately 30-35 years. I have not deviated from this narrow path for even a moment. I am someone who believes in a constitutional state.

This is for the existence of the Turkish nation. I believe in the rule of law. I believe that if these are eroded, the survival of the Turkish nation will be in danger. When I think the state is in constitutional danger, I criticize everyone. I have started my tweets by saying 'I am waking up'. I have never even crossed any position in my mind.

I am a person who knows the state. I do not criticize the presidency. I have made my cautionary criticisms because I hold the person who is the head of the executive branch responsible for unconstitutional and unlawful developments. In my tweets, I also start and end by saying 'I am waking up, I am advising'. This is not my right as an intellectual and a writer, but my duty. I performed my duty. While doing this, I did not hurt anyone's honor. I did not personalize anyone. My sole purpose is to criticize the shortcomings in the constitutional state, which is at the center of my life and on which I base the center of my life, as a politician and an intellectual. I do not accept anything other than this. I do not accept the accusations; I request to be released.”

"I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF LAW"

One of Kocabıyık’s lawyers, Gökhan Öztürk, made the following statements:

“We fully agree with the client's defenses; my client expressed himself well both in his statement at the police station and in your presence. Since September 21, 2025, there is nothing other than his social media posts. They consist of suggestions for things to go better in the country.

The client is a person who has reflected his views to society for 35 years and through many years of column writing. He is sharing the same criticisms and views with society via social media. I follow him as a thinker on social media and television.

Most of his posts are warnings, not negative attitudes, but advice such as 'it is in your hands to fix this by doing it this way'. The content of the tweets included in the file consists of these. As a lawyer of 22 years, I could not find any crime in them. I do not understand the prosecution's referral to your court within the framework of the law. We request the client's release and that the investigation be conducted in this manner.”

"IT WILL BE SEEN THAT IT CONTAINS NO CRIMINAL ELEMENTS"

Another of Kocabıyık’s lawyers, Ramazan Başdoğan, also presented a defense as follows:

“We fully agree with the client's defenses; the words spoken and the thoughts contemplated are being punished. Contrary to the penal article, the client's posts target the dignity of the Presidency. The client comes from 35 years of political consulting. The client is someone who has served as a consultant to Süleyman Demirel and Tansu Çiller. He knows how to speak to the state and what words to say. If you examine all his tweets one by one and compare them with the Turkish Language Dictionary, it will be seen that they contain no criminal elements; I request that the client be tried without arrest.”

News Source: 12punto