First reaction to the detention of Tanju Özcan

Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan announced in a statement on his social media account that he had been taken into custody by the gendarmerie. In his post, Özcan stated, "I have been taken into custody by the gendarmerie. I was detained because scholarships were provided to thousands of students in my hometown. This is an honor for me!"

This action taken against Özcan has caused widespread repercussions in the public eye and within the CHP. CHP Deputy Chairman Burhanettin Bulut condemned the practice in a statement made via his social media account. Bulut said, "Taking a mayor who was elected by the people's vote, whose location is known and whose office is known, into custody with the gendarmerie instead of summoning him is not a requirement of the law, but an attempt at intimidation."

Bulut used the following expressions in his statement:

"The detention of our Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan is an unacceptable political operation! Taking a mayor who was elected by the people's vote, whose location is known and whose office is known, into custody with the gendarmerie instead of summoning him is not a requirement of the law, but an attempt at intimidation.

It is an attempt to discredit those who cannot be defeated at the ballot box by using the judiciary as a stick. But it should be known that the will of the people cannot be suppressed by pressure or perception operations. May your tyranny increase so that you may soon meet your end!"

On the other hand, it was reported that 13 other people allegedly linked to the municipality were also taken into custody as part of the same investigation. It was noted that the investigation is being conducted on the allegation of "extortion" (irtikap).

WHAT DOES IRTIKAP MEAN?

The crime of extortion (irtikap) is when a public official abuses the influence provided by their position to secure a benefit for themselves or a person they direct, by claiming that they will not perform or will not properly perform a legitimate task for the other party.

News Source: 12punto