A letter to the "parliament" was sent by the lawyer Feizi Hamsel for a special pardon for the release of the director of the illegal "Bayrak", Meriem Ozcourt, who was convicted yesterday and sent to prison for 2 months for violating the "law" on the electoral process and a directive of the "Supreme Electoral Council" to broadcast inaugurations.
The whole issue has assumed great proportions as the T/C leader, the "government" and the CEC today rushed to support the director, who reacted to the sentence by noting that the ceremony to reopen the repaired water pipeline from Turkey to the occupied territories, a few days before the second Sunday of the 2020 "presidential elections", was also broadcast by at least two private channels, but their directors did not face prosecution.
According to Yeni Douzen, the trial at the Nicosia "criminal court" lasted about a year with 9 hearings. The "Supreme Electoral Council" had filed a complaint in July 2021 about "Bayrak's" non-compliance with the council's directive not to broadcast the ceremony in question.[/B] The file was closed and the case began to be examined on 4 August 2021.
As reported, the "council" had requested both verbally by phone and by email to stop broadcasting the ceremony, based on the "Elections and Referendums Act", but this had not been done. Oscourt faced two charges, violation of the "election law" and failure to comply with a directive from the "supreme electoral council". The sentence is two months for the first charge and 20 days for the second.
Ozhkourt's lawyer said yesterday that the sentence is too high and they will appeal the decision.
Opposition leader and PTK president Toufan Erhiurman said at midday that as long as the judicial path is open and there will be an appeal, the "parliament" cannot discuss a pardon for Ozkourt.
The "president" of the "supreme electoral council", Nerine Ferdi Shefik, today declined to comment on the case, noting that the legal process is ongoing.
Reactions
Great regret for decision was expressed by Ersin Tatar expressing confidence that the relevant authorities will immediately take the necessary actions to relieve public opinion on this matter, "as I noticed that it has been deeply traumatized and causes indignation".
The "Prime Minister", Unal Ustel spoke of news that people have been waiting to watch and how the condemnation of Oscourt challenges public sentiment. "The judiciary is independent. It is a basic principle of our constitution that there is separation of powers. However, this situation calls for a review of the existing legislation," he said, adding that his "government" would take the necessary steps.
Bayrak broadcast a historic moment in the context of informing the public with the reopening of the pipeline that brings the "water of life" with the help of the "motherland" Turkey, said the "president" of the "parliament", Zorlu Torre. The main task of "public television", he added, is to broadcast and inform the public about such historic moments. He expressed regret for the decision of the "court", "as a person who respects the supremacy of the law."
The "supreme court", Tahsin Ertugruloglu also expressed regret for the decision, saying that "Bayrak" broadcast live "the excitement because the water from our motherland has reached the territories of our arid island again."
[P[/P]The Bayrak workers' guild, BAY-SEN, through its president, Ibrahim Kanat, called the decision to imprison their director unfortunate, saying that this ceremony was organized amidst election bans, but only Ozkourt was prosecuted and this is not fair.
The invocation of "public visibility" is not a correct argument says press workers' guild Basın Sen while the Association of T/C journalists says that what happened with Ozcourt should be an example for the heads of all "state" departments. Both organizations regretted the decision of the "criminal court".
The T/C Bar Association draws the attention of those who make comments, reactions to the decision of the "criminal court" and especially to article 136 of the "constitution" concerning the "independence of the judiciary".
A decision, the statement says, may not satisfy us and we may criticize it, but there is a limit.
It cites the content of the specific article describing when there is interference with the independence of the judiciary, saying that they have been following with concern since yesterday relevant statements by the T/C leader, members of the "cabinet", some "deputies". Some of the expressions, it adds, cannot be simply contradicted in the sense of freedom of expression.
Do not forget, the statement of the T/C Bar Association concludes, that all those who live in this "country" need an independent judiciary and trust in the judiciary.
In a post today, the former T/C leader Mustafa Akinci reiterates that the 2020 "presidential" elections were not democratic, fair and correct.
They were "elections" in which all kinds of interference was made by the AKP power, the institutions of the Turkish state and their representatives here in a leading role. Along with threats against lives, the most brutal actions were taken, and the "embassy" was used as a headquarters to prevent the real will of the "people" from being seen, he added, meaning the Turkish illegal embassy in the occupied territories. It is also a reality, he said, that intrigues were created, adding that "Bayrak" "played the role that some people wanted within the framework of the orders given."
According to Akinci, there is a discussion about the sentence for the director of "Bayrak", who is the smallest link in a "big criminal chain."
"I cannot of course be happy that someone is imprisoned. However, if our society wants to move forward to a better future, it can do so by respecting the democratic rule of law."
The rules, she added, also include respecting "electoral" prohibitions and not carrying out illegal orders, regardless of where the order comes from. "Our society will certainly reach an order that is free, democratic, secular, with respect for human rights, and the rule of law will always apply. Every step in this direction, no matter how small, is important," Mustafa Akinci concluded.
The issue is on the front pages of several T/C newspapers today. Avrupa claims that the ceremony was then ordered by the Turkish President himself to benefit Ersin Tatar just before the second Sunday of the "presidential" elections.
Source: CNA
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