11.07.2025 17:40
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç commented on the broadcasting of the hearings in the case related to the corruption investigation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) by stating, "The amendment to Article 183 of our Criminal Procedure Code is a matter at the discretion of our Parliament. The Parliamentary Justice Commission will convene, and then it will be sent to the General Assembly. In the initial proposal, of course, this Parliament has control over its agenda."
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç answered questions related to the agenda and made statements during a live broadcast program he attended.
"THE WHITE SHEEP AND THE BLACK SHEEP WILL BE REVEALED IN THE JUDICIAL PROCESS"
In response to a question regarding the investigation of Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was arrested and removed from his position as the Mayor of Istanbul due to a corruption investigation, Tunç stated that it is not correct to portray judicial processes as political cases.
Emphasizing that judicial investigations should be conducted in a healthy manner, Tunç said, "At this point, threatening and insulting words directed at the judiciary and its members do not benefit this country. We must wait for the processes calmly, and especially, the place for defense is not the squares. The place for defense is the judicial authorities. If you are innocent, you already have the opportunity to refute the accusations and the evidence presented against you. Therefore, the white sheep and the black sheep will be revealed in the judicial process." he evaluated.
"YOU MUST NOT REACH A POINT WHERE YOUR FACE WILL TURN RED"
Tunç stated that when the indictment is prepared, it will be known to the public who is accused of what crime, what evidence exists regarding this crime, and the defenses of the suspects and defendants.
Indicating that these records will be published, Tunç said, "The hearings are transparent, public, and open. They will not be secret or closed. These hearings will take place in front of the eyes of the nation. Therefore, you must not reach a point where your face will turn red without knowing what the collected evidence is." he said.
"THERE ARE DOZENS OF INFORMANTS"
Emphasizing that the judiciary will do what is necessary when a crime is committed, Tunç stated, "During the investigation phase, especially at the stage of evidence collection, witnesses are heard, and there are dozens of informants. These are people they worked with. Their own party members, that is, how did the process start? The money collected during the acquisition of the Istanbul Provincial Headquarters building, the money towers that came out of suitcases. From there, it started, and then like a thread unraveling, where did this money come from? Then the processes continued. Some ran to the prosecutor and made statements. All of these, of course, if the judiciary covers them up, there will be no such thing as justice." he spoke.
In response to a question about the indictment against Ekrem İmamoğlu, Tunç stated that there are practices related to completing investigations and prosecutions within the target time, and he expressed that the judiciary will show the necessary sensitivity within the target time.
"IF ARTICLE 183 CHANGES, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO BROADCAST ON TRT"
Tunç made the following evaluations regarding the request to broadcast these cases on TRT: "There is an ongoing investigation process according to our Criminal Procedure Law. Article 182 of our Criminal Procedure Law states that hearings are public, open, and records are kept. These can be seen by the public. Others can enter and watch the hearings, but the following article 183 states, 'Photographs cannot be taken during hearings, video recordings cannot be made.' Regarding this, especially if a bill is proposed in our parliament to change Article 183, this may be possible. The justification for Article 183 is based on the concerns at the time our Criminal Procedure Law was made; when it is broadcast live, it will not only apply to this case. The article you regulate may apply to all cases."
"A MATTER AT THE DISCRETION OF OUR PARLIAMENT"
Tunç stated, "If a legal regulation is necessary in this regard, a change in Article 183 is a matter at the discretion of our Parliament. The Parliamentary Justice Commission meets, and then it is sent to the General Assembly. In the first proposal, of course, this Parliament has control over its agenda. It can always pass any law within a certain period." he evaluated.
MURAT ÇALIK'S HEALTH STATUS
In response to a question about the situation of Beylikdüzü Mayor Murat Çalık, who was sent back to prison after undergoing surgery for cancer treatment, Tunç stated that Çalık is under treatment and that the hospital report has been sent to the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, and the Forensic Medicine Institution will decide on the process.
"THE PERCEPTION THAT ONLY CHP MUNICIPALITIES ARE TARGETED IS INCORRECT"
In response to a question about operations being conducted only against CHP municipalities, Tunç said: "The perception that only CHP municipalities are being targeted and others are not is also incorrect. This has actually been published on television and in newspapers. Over the past 10 years, the number of municipalities for which the Ministry of Interior has granted investigation permits is higher for the AK Party. CHP comes in second, and 30 cases have been opened against AK Party municipalities so far. Out of those 30 cases, there have been 13 convictions, 7 ongoing cases, and 10 acquittals. In other words, 13 out of 30 cases have resulted in convictions."
When an investigation is conducted against CHP municipalities, the party supports them. The party leader immediately calls for a rally, saying our president is innocent. You do not know the file yet, but 30 cases have been opened against AK Party municipalities. Did our party support them or expel them from the party? There have been 13 convictions. They went to prison."
"THE JUDICIARY WILL INVESTIGATE TO THE END"
In response to a question about the Grand Kartal Hotel fire, which resulted in the deaths of 78 people and injuries to 133 others at the Kartalkaya Ski Resort, Minister Tunç reported that the hearings are ongoing, stating, "The report of the Bolu Municipality Fire Department was discussed. There were discussions about ignoring the faults in the hotel and withdrawing that report, as well as withdrawing the petition. It seemed to create a perception that the municipality was not responsible. We said here that whoever is responsible, regardless of their title or institution, the judiciary will investigate this to the end, and the most competent expert committee in Turkey has opened a case within the framework of the report they provided, and the trial process is currently continuing uninterrupted." he stated.