İmamoğlu says same expert assigned to all investigations into CHP municipalities, filing reports against them

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, from the main opposition CHP, has announced that the same expert has been assigned to the politically motivated investigations into CHP-run municipalities in Istanbul, filing expert reports against them. A prosecutor’s office immediately launched another investigation into İmamoğlu as soon as he finished speaking in the conference.

Monday January 27 2025 04:29 pm

Photo: ANKA News Agency

Can Bursalı / DUVAR

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), on Jan. 27 held a press conference regarding the recent judicial investigations the CHP-led municipalities have been facing.

İmamoğlu revealed that Satılmış Büyükcanayakın has been assigned to politically motivated investigations into opposition CHP-led municipalities, filing expert reports against them in the lawsuits.

İmamoğlu said despite the Council of State's decision that he had no criminal responsibility in the tender case filed against him during his term as Mayor of Beylikdüzü Municipality, in which a 7-year prison sentence and political ban sought for him, the court demanded an expert report.

He stated that the expert, Satılmış Büyükcanayakın, prepared an “extraordinary report,” because “The expert did not find the ruling of the Council of State correct. The prosecutor stated in the indictment that the mayor (İmamoğlu) was responsible and based this on an internal auditor report. But there is no such report.”

“Because of his bravery, Mr. Satılmış was given new assignments,” İmamoğlu said, adding that he prepared “negative reports on behalf of our (municipal) companies and their employees. Our lawyers received (different) expert opinions and these expert reports were invalidated.”

İmamoğlu also noted that the investigation in which Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, from the CHP, was arrested also referred to the expert reports prepared by Satılmış Büyükcanayakın.

“There are 8,806 experts in Istanbul. But only one person is assigned to the cases regarding the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality: Mr. Satılmış,” İmamoğlu stressed.

İmamoğlu also said the same expert was assigned to the cases regarding CHP’s Beşiktaş and Esenyurt mayors, both of whom were recently ousted by Ankara and arrested.

There must be the three different experts' signature in such a report, but “The report does not have the signatures of the other two experts. Only Mr. Satılmış’s signature is on the report. The others do not sign. The prosecutor's office took this invalid report as a basis and carried out operations against Esenyurt and Beşiktaş (mayors) on Jan. 13.”

“When the other two experts saw this, they immediately went to the court and presented their report to the prosecutor. (Esenyurt Mayor) Ahmet Özer is not mentioned in that report. In Mr. Satılmış's report, Ahmet Özer is a suspect. The prosecutor's office, in violation of customary practice and the Code of Criminal Procedure, used Mr. Satılmış's report and issued another arrest warrant for Ahmet Özer,” İmamoğlu added.

İmamoğlu then called on Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç to initiate an investigation into Büyükcanayakın.

“Don't you dare tweet me about an independent judiciary. You won't be able to (initiate an investigation).”

As soon as İmamoğlu’s speech ended, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation against him for “attempting to influence a judicial officer by publicly targeting him for the purpose of issuing a decision that would result in favor of the suspects in the investigation, and by disclosing his name for this purpose.”

“In addition, the Istanbul Security Directorate has been instructed to identify and investigate those who make such statements in print and visual media,” the office added.

The same office initiated another investigation against İmamoğlu last week for saying “We will dismantle (this mindset) so that no one can take your children from your house in the morning,” while addressing Istanbul prosecutor Akın Gürlek and criticizing CHP youth branch head Cem Aydın’s detention.

CHP’s Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer was arrested four months ago on charges of “being a member of a terrorist organization” and replaced with a trustee by Ankara.

Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat was arrested this month, accused of “bribing” and “manipulating” tender processes.

Ahmet Özer is also included in the investigation into Beşiktaş, in which an arrest warrant was once again issued for him.

The removal and arrest of two Istanbul district mayors from the CHP is regarded as government’s new crackdown attempts on opposition-led municipalities, and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

İmamoğlu is popular figure, regarded as a potential rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.