Main opposition deputy Cihaner will be forced to face judge

ISTANBUL

Ilhan Cihaner was on trial for an investigation he led during his time as the chief public prosecutor in Erzincan. DHA photo

The Supreme Court of Appeals has ruled for Republican People’s Party deputy İlhan Cihaner to be brought to court by force after two previous hearings for which he did not appear, daily Hürriyet reported.

Cihaner was on trial for an investigation he led during his time as the chief public prosecutor in Erzincan. Despite being summoned by the court two times already, Cihaner refused to show up.

The next hearing, which will see Cihaner brought to court, will take place June 28.

Cihaner had begun an investigation into community members of an Islamist group called İsmailağa living in Erzincan in 2007. Because a notice by the prosecutor’s office stating that these “community members are armed and dangerous” turned out to be false, the investigation was transferred from Cihaner to Osman Şanal, another prosecutor with special authority.

Also, Cihaner was wiretapped as part of the Ergenekon case inspection and is being tried, facing up to 26 years in prison on malpractice charges.