Question from CHP's Bulut to the operation footage in Mersin

NEW Party Adana Deputy Burhanettin Bulut submitted a parliamentary question to the Presidency of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, requesting an answer from the Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi regarding the knocking on the door of a residence by police teams during the operation carried out against the municipalities in Mersin and the images taken in the early hours of the morning being provided to the press.

Referring to the incident and images in Mersin in the justification section of the motion, Bulut made the following statements:

"As part of an operation against municipalities in Mersin, images of the police knocking on the door of a residence in the early hours of the morning and a woman in the house opening the door wearing her pajamas were reflected to the public. In the images in question, it is understood that the homeowner asked the police to turn off the cameras, and the police officer on duty responded, 'No problem, for informational purposes'. Despite this, these images were later served to the press and public under the title of 'operation footage'.

Making images available to the public at a person's home, without even knowing the stage of the investigation and whether there is a final judicial decision against the persons concerned, is an issue that should be evaluated in terms of privacy of private life, protection of personal data, presumption of innocence and confidentiality of the investigation. The main duty of law enforcement officers using public power is to carry out investigations and judicial proceedings in accordance with the law. "It is a requirement of the rule of law to avoid practices that would harm people's dignity, privacy and fundamental rights while presenting law enforcement activities to the public."

"WHICH INSTITUTION WAS THE IMAGES SERVICED BY?"

Bulut asked the following questions to Minister Çiftçi:

"Which law enforcement unit or units were recorded by which law enforcement unit or units, which were stated to have been shot in a residence within the scope of the operation in Mersin? By which person, institution or unit were these images made available to press organizations or third parties under the name of 'operation footage'?

Has any written or verbal instruction been given by any authority or superior to release the images to the press? If given, what is the legal basis of this instruction? Has your Ministry initiated any investigation or investigation regarding the legality of providing the images in question to the press in terms of the confidentiality of the investigation, privacy of private life and presumption of innocence?

Has an administrative review been conducted to determine who provided the images to the press and for what purpose? If so, has any action been taken as a result? "How many law enforcement officers have been subjected to administrative or judicial proceedings because the images obtained during the raids on residences during the operations carried out in recent years were shared with media organizations or social media accounts?"