Turkey's main opposition CHP exposes document of threat against prosecutor by undersecretary

ANKARA

The main opposition CHP leader reads a document reportedly revealing the government pressure on a graft probe prosecutor in İzmir. DHA photo

Reading out minutes of a conversation between the recently appointed Justice Ministry Undersecretary and a chief prosecutor who has launched a probe into fraud claims in the İzmir Harbor that engulfed a relative of the ruling party’s İzmir mayoral candidate, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader stated on Jan. 21 the undersecretary threatened the prosecutor to halt the investigation.

The excerpt Kılıçdaroğlu recited was also kept on record by the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), the composition and authorities of which are at the center of grave political turmoil, had the signature of İzmir Chief Prosecutor Hüseyin Baş.

After the related investigation was finalized and expertise reports were written, the authorized and commissioned courts made the decision to question and detain the suspects on Jan. 6, Baş explained.

“The decisions that were made by the courts were extended to after work hours; after the decisions were sent to the Police Department for execution, at 7:38 p.m. on Jan. 6, as I was at my house, the secretary at the Under secretariat Office called me from my [writes down a mobile phone number] told me Mr. Kenan İpek wanted to talk to me,” Kılıçdaroğlu quoted Baş as saying in the record.

The CHP leader read out the record kept by Baş as he was addressing his party at a parliamentary group meeting.

Investigation to be stopped at once

Noting he informed İpek of the content of the investigation upon question, Baş explained, “Hereupon, he wanted this investigation to be stopped at once, wanted me to ask the law enforcement officers to return the court decisions. He said he waited at his office and asked to be notified of the result.”

Explaining how the undersecretary was persistent during the four-minute long conversation despite his clear briefing that there was nothing against the law in regards to the investigation, Baş said the second call from İpek came at 10:31 p.m.

“Go just at this hour, replace the prosecutor, abolish all decisions, and halt this investigation. If you do not this, you will face the results,” Baş quoted İpek as telling him during the telephone call.