Turkish court acquits Ankara Mayor Yavaş of charges related to cheque collection

A Turkish court has acquitted Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş of the charges of “misconduct” with regards to the collection of a $600,000 cheque in a legal dispute that began in 2009, when Yavaş was a practicing lawyer. The businessman named Necmettin Keskin was convicted of making false allegations against Yavaş.

Friday September 18 2020 06:57 pm

Duvar English

A Turkish court has acquitted Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş of the charges of “abusing his powers” while acting as an arbitrator in a legal dispute that took place prior to his election as the mayor in 2019.

The lawsuit against Yavaş was launched following a complaint filed by businessman Necmettin Keskin. The businessman accused Yavaş of trying to cash a forged cheque that was issued on behalf of him. Yavaş was a practicing lawyer at the time of the dispute, but Keskin brought up the accusations once Yavaş was elected as a mayor on March 31, 2019.

Following Keskin's allegations, Yavaş himself also filed a counter lawsuit, accusing the businessman of “forgery of official documents,” “threatening him” and “violating the right to privacy.” A court found Keskin guilty, sentencing him to six years and six months in jail in March. Although seven months have passed since the court's sentencing decision, Keskin is still at loose.