Turkey’s main opposition leader visits jailed MP, says ‘justice will be realized’

ISTANBUL

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has visited jailed CHP deputy Enis Berberoğlu in prison in Istanbul, a day after his 25-day “justice march” was completed with a massive rally on July 10.

“There is a saying, ‘Justice walks slowly, it walks little, but it certainly reaches its target.’ We believe that justice will be realized one day,” Kılıçdaroğlu told journalists on July 9 in front of Istanbul’s Maltepe Prison, where Berberoğlu is held.

Kılıçdaroğlu arrived in front of the prison at around 10:30 a.m. on July 10 and his visit lasted nearly two hours.

The CHP, under the leadership of Kılıçdaroğlu, launched its “justice march” from Ankara to Istanbul on June 15 after Berberoğlu was sentenced to 25 years in jail on June 14 on charges of providing daily Cumhuriyet with video footage purporting to show weapons-loaded National Intelligence Agency (MİT) trucks heading to Syria.

The march was initially planned to end in front of Maltepe Prison, where Berberoğlu is held, but the party decided to hold a large rally in the district instead. 

During his speech in front of the prison, Kılıçdaroğlu said “justice itself has been sentenced.”

“I’ve seen that justice has been convicted and imprisoned. It creates deep wounds in society’s conscience to jail people who are unfairly accused, who have no relation to terror, and who haven’t committed any sins,” he added. 

Saying that Berberoğlu was in high spirits during their meeting, Kılıçdaroğlu added that he had been writing his memoires while inside. 

“It’s really painful to see this truth at the spot. The buildings that are called ‘justice palaces’ are sadly not distributing justice,” he said. 

Kılıçdaroğlu also noted thawt Berberoğlu had been a journalist for a long time and sent his greetings to all journalists.

“He was the editor-in-chief of one of Turkey’s biggest newspapers. He sends his greetings to all journalist friends. He is feeling fine. I hope justice finds its way and he will be released as soon as possible,” he said, referring to the time period when Berberoğlu was the editor-in-chief of daily Hürriyet.

“This ruling is a very heavy one. It doesn’t suit the law or justice. It’s a ruling that created a deep wound in society’s conscience,” Kılıçdaroğlu added.