Meral Akşener filed a criminal complaint against her husband's brother.

Former İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener filed a criminal complaint against her estranged husband’s brother, Hasan Basri Akşener, who is also a member of the Founding Board and Central Disciplinary Board of the Victory Party, through her lawyer. In the criminal complaint submitted to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office last July, it was stated that her brother-in-law Hasan Basri Akşener, who lives in İzmit, made posts about her and had conversations via social media with S.K., who frequently meets with Meral Akşener. The statements sent by S.K. to Akşener's lawyer, expressing concerns that the conversations, which were alleged to contain threats and insults, could indicate the seriousness of the situation and the possibility of a danger, were noted in the complaint.

REQUEST FOR JUDICIAL CONTROL MEASURES

Meral Akşener's lawyer stated in the complaint that Hasan Basri Akşener could know the time of her residence and visits due to their familial relationship. The lawyer indicated that the increasing severe criticisms, derogatory statements, and expressions directed at Meral Akşener recently have heightened the likelihood of a potential attack, and requested urgent measures to be taken against Hasan Basri Akşener's threatening statements and the application of judicial control measures.

"HE TOLD ME NOT TO COMMENT"

Regarding the criminal complaint, Hasan Basri Akşener was summoned to give a statement at the police station yesterday. He stated that he criticized the management style and policies of the İYİ Party, which led to a rift between him and Meral Akşener during her tenure as the party leader. In his statement, he said, "Akşener called me several times and said rude things, telling me not to write anything against her or to comment. I expressed that I would write what I believe to be true and continue to criticize her. After this and similar incidents, we have not met face to face."

"I ANSWERED WHEN ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT AKŞENER"

Hasan Basri Akşener stated that he met S.K. through messaging on social media during the early periods of the İYİ Party's establishment and occasionally discussed topics such as politics and economics with him. He noted in his statement:

"On July 3, 2024, when I was asked questions about Meral Akşener on Facebook, I answered. However, I did not think that S.K. would relay these conversations or pass them on. I had no instruction or statement regarding the transmission of the messages. In fact, while S.K. was messaging me, he expressed that he trusted my sincerity, that the matters between Akşener and me were private family issues, and that he would consider it as if he had not heard or read these conversations. However, later, these conversations I had with S.K. were also leaked to local media, resulting in negative news about me. For all these reasons, I filed a criminal complaint due to S.K.'s sharing of these private conversations with third parties. I had sent these messages to S.K., not to Ms. Meral."

"I FIND IT EXTREMELY ABSURD"

In his statement, Hasan Basri Akşener said, "It is not possible for the crimes of insult and threat to occur due to the expressions I used. Since these messages are conversations between S.K. and me, it is also not possible for the crime of insult in absentia to occur. I intended to express the phrase 'If I see you, I will hit you' as 'If I see you, I will hit you in the face.' The expression of hitting in the face here does not mean to show physical violence, but rather to point out someone's mistakes and faults. I do not approve of Akşener's policies, what she has done, or her political stance, but I find it extremely absurd to claim that I would physically harm her due to what she has or has not done. It is not possible for me to commit violence against not only my brother's wife but any woman. I reject the accusations against me," he said.

HE REACTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Hasan Basri Akşener also reacted to the criminal complaint on his social media account, stating:

"Today, I went to the police station to give a statement upon Meral Akşener's complaint. Previously, she had filed a lawsuit against me for moral damages through the civil court, which I accepted with understanding, saying, 'It could happen.' However, as if that were not enough, she has now gone to the prosecutor's office and filed a complaint against me, claiming that I planned an assassination. I ask, am I a PKK member, a terrorist? Does the state not know who I am? You have known me as your brother-in-law since I was 12 years old. What kind of violence have you seen from me since that day? It is wrong to even entertain such a thought. I may have been angry with you recently, but I showed great respect in the past. Unfortunately, I did not receive that respect from you."