Yavuz Bingöl makes third visit to Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek

It has been learned that folk singer Yavuz Bingöl, known for his closeness to the government, has visited Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek in his office at the courthouse three times in the last five months. It was reported that the last visit took place last week and that Bingöl entered the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan and went directly to Gürlek's office.

The visits drew attention in courthouse circles and among members of the press.

No information could be obtained regarding the purpose of Bingöl's personal visits to Chief Public Prosecutor Gürlek.

While various interpretations regarding the content of the meetings have been raised among courthouse reporters, the occurrence of private visits to such a critical office as the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has brought discussions about the impartiality of the judiciary back to the agenda.

GÜRLEK, ON THE AGENDA WITH POLITICAL CASES

The background to why Yavuz Bingöl's visit has attracted so much attention lies in the fact that Akın Gürlek has long been at the center of controversy. Gürlek is known for the rulings he made against numerous opposition politicians and journalists during his time as a judge.

Akın Gürlek, whom former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu criticized by calling him the "new Zekeriya Öz," was appointed as the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor last year. Following the appointment, investigations, detentions, and arrest warrants against many politicians and local administrators from the opposition front have come to the fore.

In the past, Gürlek sentenced former CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu to a total of 9 years and 8 months in prison due to her social media posts, and sentenced former HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş to 4 years and 8 months in prison on charges of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization."

Furthermore, his decision not to implement the Constitutional Court's ruling on rights violations, stating that there was no need for a retrial for Enis Berberoğlu, had increased the intensity of the criticism directed at Gürlek.

Finally, the 1-year and 8-month prison sentence handed down in the case where Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was tried for his remarks against Akın Gürlek also resonated with the public.

At a time when criticisms that the judiciary has become politicized are intensifying, it did not go unnoticed that a figure described by the public as a "pro-government artist" met with the chief prosecutor three times in a row. Bingöl had previously used the phrase "Being pro-government is not a bad thing" in response to criticisms of being a government supporter on a TV channel.

News Source: 12punto