Testimonies of Halit Ergenç and Rıza Kocaoğlu revealed

Actors Halit Ergenç and Rıza Kocaoğlu arrived at the Çağlayan Courthouse to stand trial, facing up to 4 years in prison each on allegations of 'perjury' in connection with the 'Gezi Park' investigation involving talent manager Ayşe Barım.

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Testimonies of Halit Ergenç and Rıza Kocaoğlu revealed

The hearing for the case in which actors Halit Ergenç and Rıza Kocaoğlu are being tried, facing 2 to 4 years in prison on allegations of 'perjury' after testifying as witnesses in the 'Gezi' investigation conducted into talent manager Ayşe Barım, will be held today at the Istanbul 24th Criminal Court of First Instance. Ergenç and Kocaoğlu arrived at the courthouse for the hearing.

The artists, who were met with interest in the courthouse hallway, made a statement saying, 'We will go inside and fulfill our duty.' At the hearing held at the Istanbul 24th Criminal Court of First Instance, after identity verification, Halit Ergenç stated his monthly income as 300 thousand lira, while Rıza Kocaoğlu stated his as 200 thousand lira.

'I DID NOT LIE'

In his defense, Halit Ergenç said, 'I do not believe I have committed a crime because I did not lie; I answered the questions asked of me. I do not believe I gave false testimony. My testimony was sought in the Ayşe Barım file. I was asked whether I knew Mehmet Ali Alabora, Osman Kavala, and Çiğdem Mater. I said I knew Alabora from my conservatory years. I said I encountered him in professional settings. Other than that, I said I had no intimacy with him.'

Ergenç continued his testimony as follows:

'Even though I was not very close with Alabora, meetings were held more than once because he was the president of the actors' union. There were Gezi Park protests during that period as well. Our reason for participating in the Gezi Park protest was to prevent the trees there from being cut down. It was absolutely not a protest against the state or the government. My phone conversation was entirely about the square being closed to protests at that time and our inability to enter.

During that period, meetings were held to decide where and how to meet with Alabora; my other meetings were due to him being the union president. There is no question of me receiving any special or other instructions. My reason for going to Gezi Park was entirely for environmentalism and to prevent the trees from being cut down. This is the reason why I stated that I was not close with him when I was asked at that time; it is impossible for me to adopt any political view there.

If the prosecutor had asked me during the investigation phase whether I had any meetings, I would have made the same statement as I have declared to you now. Since he asked whether I knew him, I said I had no intimacy at all. I stated my reasons for meeting him the second time as I have indicated here.'

'I WAS THERE BECAUSE THE TREES WERE BEING CUT DOWN'

Rıza Kocaoğlu said in his defense:

'When we were invited as witnesses, I tried to give detailed answers. Questions were asked in a general manner regarding Alabora; I said I knew him and knew him as the president of the actors' union, but that I had no contact with him.

They were very general questions, so I answered as much as I could remember. A long time, like 12 years, has passed, so I said I did not meet with him because I did not remember whether I had met with him or not.

I had declared that I had no contact before or after the Gezi Park events. I was there entirely because the trees in Gezi Park were being cut down. The crowd that formed there was very close to my home, so I participated for that reason. My meeting with Alabora was because he was the union president.'

News Source: 12punto