Akın Gürlek responds to Ekrem İmamoğlu for the first time, but does not mention his name!

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek, who initiated the IMM investigation during his tenure as the Chief Public Prosecutor of Istanbul, responded for the first time to the statements made by Ekrem İmamoğlu regarding him. Responding to the term "individual" used by İmamoğlu, Gürlek stated that such rhetoric does not concern him. Gürlek said, "As a Public Prosecutor, we have no interest in individuals; we look at whether a crime has been committed or not."

"WE INVESTIGATE WHETHER A CRIME EXISTS OR NOT"

Gürlek explained the process in the IMM case, stating that prosecutors initiate investigations by looking at whether a crime has been committed. "For us, it is not important whether that individual is a mayor, an artist, or whether they are rich or poor. Our duty is to look at whether there is a crime or not," Gürlek said, noting that the investigation is based on the determination of the crime and the collection of evidence.

"THE NAMES OF INDIVIDUALS DO NOT CONCERN US"

Akın Gürlek said the following regarding the legal process:

"We even looked at the file by covering the names of the individuals in it. There was suspicion of corruption, fraud, and bid-rigging. For us, the name of that individual or their position in office was not important. This was a requirement of the legal system, not of an investigation. As a prosecutor, we fulfilled our duty."

"EVIDENCE IS CONCRETE AND CLEAR"

Contrary to the language İmamoğlu used while criticizing the judicial process, Gürlek stated that the investigation is based on concrete evidence. He noted that the indictment includes MASAK reports, witness statements, effective remorse declarations, financial transactions, and HTS base station records. Gürlek emphasized that the investigation proceeded by bringing all this evidence together and that the prosecutors acted in accordance with legal procedures.

"THE LAW REVIEWS EVERY DECISION"

Minister Gürlek stated that every stage of the judicial process can be audited and that every decision made can be reviewed by a higher court or the Court of Cassation. He expressed that if any error was made during this process, higher courts could correct them. Gürlek said, "If a prosecutor makes a wrong decision, the higher court overturns it. If the court makes a wrong decision, the Court of Cassation corrects it. Our goal is for justice to be served."

"WE HAVE NO RESERVATIONS REGARDING INDIVIDUALS"

Continuing his remarks, Gürlek stated, "We are not doing anything regarding individuals. The names or positions of individuals do not concern us. If there is a crime, we initiate an investigation; if there is a suspect, we refer them for arrest," emphasizing that the investigation process focuses solely on the determination of the crime.

THE INDICTMENT CONTAINS CONCRETE EVIDENCE

Contrary to the comments made about the legal process by İmamoğlu, Gürlek explained that concrete evidence exists in the indictment and that this evidence was collected as a requirement of the legal process. In this context, he reiterated that the judiciary and the investigation are absolutely not about individuals, but rather about investigating the existence of a crime.

Minister of Justice Gürlek concluded his remarks as follows:

"The trial phase has begun, and we are all equal before the law in this process. As a prosecutor, I performed my duty with a clear conscience. The judiciary is a system that audits every decision, and no one can remain outside of it."

News Source: 12punto