Statute of limitations request for fugitive prosecutors draws backlash

The Office of the Supreme Court Chief Public Prosecutor has requested the dismissal of the public cases against fugitive prosecutors Zekeriya Öz, Cihan Kansız, and Mehmet Yüzgeç, citing the expiration of the 8-year statute of limitations.

The opinion included the accusation against Mehmet Yüzgeç regarding the failure to conduct an effective investigation into the leaking of wiretap records belonging to former Supreme Court Chief Public Prosecutor Mehmet Seyfi Oktay to the media. Regarding Cihan Kansız, the file included the allegation that he gave instructions not to record the secret meeting held in 2009 between Naci Şerifi Zindaşti, who was detained at Maltepe Closed Prison, and Metin Topuz, a FETÖ member working at the US Consulate General in Istanbul.

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated that the 8-year statute of limitations had expired for these charges and expressed the opinion that the cases should be dismissed. The request sparked reactions from retired military personnel and legal experts who were targeted in past conspiracy trials.

Speaking to Cumhuriyet, retired military judge Ahmet Zeki Üçok argued that the statute of limitations for bribery should be calculated differently. Üçok said, "The upper limit for the crime of bribery is 12 years. The person accused was a public prosecutor at the time of the crime, and the law at that time stipulated that bribery by a person performing judicial duties is an aggravating factor. In this case, the primary statute of limitations for the crime of bribery is not 8 years, but 15 years."

Retired Admiral Yankı Bağcıoğlu also reacted to the decision, stating that these individuals played a role in the process leading up to the July 15 coup attempt. Bağcıoğlu stated, "It is unacceptable for these individuals, who created great weaknesses in both the military and national security, to be exempted from their responsibilities in this way."

News Source: 12punto