Istanbul courthouse bribery claims being probed: Minister

ANKARA

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç has confirmed that three inspectors have been deployed to investigate allegations of bribery and irregularities within an Istanbul courthouse.

In a denunciation letter submitted to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor İsmail Uçar claimed that criminals — including drug traffickers, armed robbers and illegal betting operators — were being released in exchange for financial gain.

Additionally, he alleged that decisions to block news access were being made in exchange for money.

"The inspectors have not finished their report yet. We will see in this report whether the allegations mentioned are true," Tunç told daily Hürriyet on Nov. 2.

"The relevant department of the HSK will conduct the investigation. If these allegations are revealed to be true, the HSK will take the necessary action."

Tunç urged caution in handling the situation, warning against "turning the matter into a campaign that could unfairly incriminate judges and prosecutors."

The allegations specifically targeted the Istanbul Anatolian 21st High Criminal Court's head, Sidar Demiroğlu, and the chair of the courthouse's justice commission, Bekir Altun.

The minister also addressed recent claims made by journalist Tolga Şardan, who alleged that Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MİT) submitted a corruption report to the presidency.

Şardan was arrested earlier this week on charges of "publicly disseminating misleading information to the public," a crime introduced in Türkiye last month.

Dismissing Şardan's claims as "disinformation and fake news," Tunç referenced a statement from the Communications Directorate, asserting that no such report had been submitted

"We do not consent to the arrest of any journalist. Everyone can write whatever they want. But there is a limit to this," he said. "They make judgments about everything. They produce news without knowing what is going on and without asking the truth of the matter."