Harsh words from Tunç Soyer to Cemil Tugay: 'You caused me to be imprisoned'

İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay claimed in an interview with T24 last week that Tunç Soyer had a personal issue with him and stated that they had no involvement in the cooperative file that led to Soyer's imprisonment.

Finally, a response to Cemil Tugay came from Tunç Soyer.

Tunç Soyer, who is currently imprisoned at Buca Kırıklar Prison, described Tugay's statements as 'slander' and reiterated that Tugay was the 'cause' of his being in prison.

'YOU HAVE CAUSED YOUR PREDECESSOR, ELECTED FROM THE SAME PARTY, TO BE IMPRISONED'

In his statement, Soyer said, 'Moreover, you have caused your predecessor, elected from the same party, to be imprisoned. You know that he has been imprisoned for seven months without cause, and under these circumstances, you either cannot think about or do not care how what you say will affect him, his family, his relatives, and his loved ones.'

The full text of the statement shared by Soyer on his personal social media account is as follows:

Cemil Tugay spoke to T24 and made further slanders about me. Yesterday, my daughter Defne brought the text with great astonishment and sadness. I read it and again could not believe my eyes. I thought that many people reading it might ask;

“What could have happened between these two people?”

That is why I thought I would write something, but then I gave up. Because I suddenly realized that we did not have a shared past that would make us close friends or eternal enemies. I did not want to occupy you with this past that is not worth a fig seed. I will leave aside the chapter of how we met, what we experienced, what he said, and what I said. Because this Party and this country have suffered most from these personal fights.

I will not talk about the projects he stopped, left unfinished, or continued by changing their names, nor about the fact that all ongoing large-budget works continue thanks to the billions of liras in loans with 4-5 years of grace period that I found, nor about the perceptions he has tried to create with relentless slanders about me.

I could not understand Cemil Tugay’s endless hostility so that I could explain it to you..!

After all, you are the mayor of Turkey’s 3rd largest city, and it has been almost 2 years since you took office.

While there are hundreds of topics to do and keep you busy,

while the city is suffering from water shortages and floods;

you are still trying to create a perception about the mayor before you.

Moreover, you have caused your predecessor, elected from the same Party, to be imprisoned. You know that he has been imprisoned for seven months without cause, and under these circumstances, you either cannot think about or do not care how what you say will affect him, his family, his relatives, and his loved ones.

A normal person would not conflict with or provoke even their enemy under these conditions.

Mr. Cemil, this city expects service and solutions from you, not polemics and excuses.

Curb your endless anger and do your primary duty.

Almost half of your term has passed.

Enough is enough, stop this nonsense and stop dealing with me..!

İzmir does not deserve this.

İzmir No. 1 F-Type High-Security Penal Execution Institution, Ward B/63

Buca – Kırıklar

01.02.2026

News Source: 12punto