Beyoğlu mayor, five others released in İstanbul municipality corruption case

A court in İstanbul yesterday ordered the release of six defendants, including suspended Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney, during the 64th session of the first hearing in a corruption case involving 414 defendants.

The crackdown against the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, which is controlled by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), began in March last year. The operation targeted Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was suspended as İstanbul mayor after being arrested as part of the investigation, along with dozens of municipal officials and others. 

İmamoğlu, whom the CHP declared its presidential candidate at the time, faces hundreds of years in prison across multiple cases.

A total of 59 defendants were held in pre-trial detention before yesterday's interim ruling. Alongside Güney, the court ordered the release of former Medya AŞ employee Ceyda Kıryak, İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Public Relations Director Serap Karay, Mehmet Karataş, Metin Bal, and Seyfullah Demirel.

Speaking to a crowd gathered outside his family home after his release, Güney noted that he had been held in solitary confinement:

"We stayed in a cell by ourselves. For 11 months, longing for mother, father, longing for the loved one, longing for children, we stayed in a cell by ourselves. We did not see this as a prison. We saw this as a watch for democracy and freedom. Today, I still have friends keeping that watch in prison. I send thousands of greetings to all my friends, all my mayors, all my bureaucrats from Örnektepe, from Beyoğlu, who are lying in Silivri. They released my body, my physical form, from there, from Silivri. I am here, but I am here only physically. My mind, my heart is still there."

The first hearing of the trial lasted 64 days. The second hearing is scheduled to begin on Aug 17. (EMK/VK)