Turkish court blocks 143 posts, articles about fraud allegations on MHP deputy

A Turkish court has banned access to 143 news articles and social media posts about the fraud allegations against government-ally MHP deputy Levent Uysal upon his request.

Wednesday February 21 2024 01:02 am

Duvar English

Upon a court decision on Feb. 19, prompted by the lawyer of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Mersin deputy Levent Uysal, access to 143 news articles and social media posts referencing Uysal has been blocked, according to reporting by BirGün on Feb. 20.

Among the restricted content are reports detailing allegations of fraud in which Uysal is accused of obtaining a 45 million euro loan from Switzerland by falsifying documents in the name of VakıfBank.

Uysal enjoys parliamentary immunity following his election as MHP lawmaker in the May 2023 elections.

Uysal, who also holds ownership of Nişantaşı University and is the founder of Nişantaşı Education Foundation, has been associated with controversial tenders in recent years, including the historical Fildamı Cistern in Bakırköy, Istanbul.

The 1,500-year-old Fildamı Cistern, initially under the management of the oppositional CHP Bakırköy Municipality, was transferred to the governmental institution, the Directorate General of Foundations, in 2018. Subsequently, in 2023, the operational rights were transferred to Uysal’s Nişantaşı Education Foundation through an untransparent tender process.

Ferhat Pamuk, Uysal’s lawyer, has been implicated in multiple cases related to fraud and the forgery of official documents. In 2020, Pamuk was sent to prison for a fraud case but was later released. Pamuk stated to BirGün that he "was slandered."

(English version by Wouter Massink)