On the 107th day of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) trial, which includes 436 defendants such as Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, former MP Aykut Erdoğdu took the floor to request his release.
Stating that he has been detained for approximately 18 months, Erdoğdu argued that the accusations against him were slander. In his speech, Erdoğdu also touched upon former minister Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, who was arrested as part of the fund investigation, and drew attention to the presumption of innocence despite their political differences.
Erdoğdu said, “I am not doing this to Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya. I believe in her presumption of innocence. Because justice cannot even come out of this judicial system for Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya. Even she may have been treated unfairly.”
Stating that he is in the same prison as Kaya, Erdoğdu pointed to the situation of female inmates in the prison and said, “This Fatma is in the same prison as us. I see her crying, and it breaks my heart.”
Erdoğdu also criticized the media coverage about him, saying, “This slander was cast upon me. Now I think, I have already served my sentence in 18 months. Every day in Sabah, Yeni Şafak, Akşam, A Haber... It’s a sin, my brother! You are in a political struggle. Don’t do this,” he said.
Recalling his previous statements regarding the fund investigation, Erdoğdu claimed that he had brought the allegations of irregularities in capital markets to the parliamentary agenda. “I was the first to explain what you call fund corruption,” Erdoğdu said, arguing that he was fighting against corruption.
During his request for release, Erdoğdu also touched upon his family situation, explaining that the treatment he and his wife were undergoing to have children was interrupted after his arrest. Erdoğdu’s wife and lawyer, Tuba Torun Erdoğdu, also requested his release, stating that they could not continue the treatment process.
Torun Erdoğdu reacted by stating that their applications had been rejected, saying, “Right now, you are taking away my right to be a mother. I am 40 years old!”
News Source: 12punto
