Kaftancıoğlu to be reinvestigated for 'violating privacy of Erdoğan's communications director'

Click to read the article in Turkish

A judgeship has reversed the decision of non-prosecution in an investigation against the İstanbul Provincial Chair of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Canan Kaftancıoğlu, for violating the privacy of Presidency's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun.

The investigation was opened in April 2020 after the publication of a news report about an allegedly illegal construction work by Altun in a land with Bosphorus view in İstanbul's Üsküdar district.

Prosecutors investigated Kaftancıoğlu for ordering CHP Üsküdar District Chair Suat Özçağdaş to take photographs of the land. She faced the charges of "instigating the violation of private life," "praising crime and the criminals," "provoking someone into committing a crime."

The prosecutor's office decided not to prosecute the case on September 29.

After an objection by Altun, İstanbul Anadolu 8th Penal Judgeship of Peace reversed the decision of non-prosecution.

It cited a social media post by Özçağdaş, in which he said that he took photographs of the area on instructions by Kaftancıoğlu.

The judgeship also noted that there was a photograph of the garden of Altun's house in Özçağdaş's phone.

There was sufficient evidence and suspicion for Kaftancıoğlu to stand trial, it concluded and sent the file to the prosecutor's office for the investigation to be reopened.

What happened?

After it was reported by daily Cumhuriyet that "the teams of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality demolished the illegal construction carried out by Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun on an estate that he has rented in the Zone with View to Bosphorus," an investigation was launched against the related media outlets for using the address and photograph of the house.

Shortly afterward, another investigation was launched against three people, including CHP Üsküdar District Chair Suat Özçağdaş, in relation to the photographing of Altun's house in Kuzguncuk, İstanbul.

Summoned to depose by phone, Özçağdaş and the two others deposed to the prosecutor's office and they were released pending trial.

The attorneys of Altun have also filed a complaint against CHP İstanbul Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu over her social media posts about Özçağdaş.

Altun also filed a lawsuit against Cumhuriyet. (HA/VK)