Reaction from Mansur Yavaş to Vahap Seçer's detention

Union of Municipalities of Turkey (TBB) and Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer, who was detained on October 1 as part of the investigation carried out by the Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, was sent to the courthouse after a health check on the morning of October 5.

Other mayors and suspects who were detained along with Seçer were also brought to the courthouse.

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş also visited Seçer's wife Meral Seçer and her family at their home.

Answering questions from members of the press after the visit, Yavaş criticized the detention method and said that the allegations against Seçer did not require arrest.

“I DO NOT FIND IT LEGAL FOR HIM TO BE DETAINED IN THIS WAY WHILE IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE BEEN INVITED.”

Yavaş said the following regarding the procedure that should be applied in investigations against mayors and public officials:

"I will repeat what I have said in all applications so far. The procedures for investigating mayors or a public official are clear. If he is invited, or if a civil inspector or the Court of Accounts detects something in an investigation, he gives it to the prosecutor's office, the prosecutor's office calls him, takes his statement, judges him, and in the end, he is punished for his crime, if any. We saw this, for example, in the example of Keskin Mayor. Even though it was certain that the bank account to which the bribe was sent was sent, he was not arrested. He was tried, convicted, and dismissed after the decision was finalized.

According to the Constitution, everyone is innocent without being tried. Therefore, I think it is not legal to be detained in this way. However, this can be applied in case of flagrante delicto. Therefore, although it is possible for him to be invited, I do not find it lawful for him to be detained in this way. That is to say, our Vahap President gave a statement yesterday, the same statement he gave when he was detained and applied in this way, he would have given the same statement even if he had been invited, nothing would have changed, but since there are rules set in Turkey, those rules should be applied the same for everyone.”

HE REMINDED MELİH GÖKÇEK: "THE FORMER ABB PRESIDENT WAS NOT TAKEN UNCOLLARED"

Yavaş continued as follows, citing as an example the method applied to Melih Gökçek, who was the Mayor of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality in the past:

"For example, in Ankara, the former Metropolitan Mayor was invited, came, gave his statement and left, he was not taken away. Therefore, first of all, we are waiting for this to end in Turkey. First of all, he is the one. Secondly, we came to wish him well. In the previous period, we often came together with the 11 mayors and their families. We also knew Ms. Meral, let's wish her well and got information about the events."

“WE DO NOT SAY LET'S NOT BE JUDGED”

Referring to the allegations of direct procurement in the investigation, Yavaş stated that the mayors did not escape from the investigations and used the following statements:

"Some direct procurement etc. were mentioned, but as we know, even if direct procurement procedures are faulty, they are not considered as tenders, thus committing the crime of abuse of office. Again, according to the law enacted by this provision, it does not require a ban on arrest, so he cannot be arrested.

In conclusion, what we can say is that, as mayors, we all want to be investigated by following the investigation procedures, we never avoid being investigated. "We are not saying that we should not be tried, we do not have any privileges, but we are saying that we should be tried duly."

“THERE IS NOTHING THAT REQUIRES HIM TO BE ARRESTED”

Yavaş reminded that Seçer was a member of parliament in the past and currently serves as the President of the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye and said:

"Now, I also told those who asked in the press a while ago. While writing the reasoned decision and giving the verdict, the judge writes the following: the characteristics of the crime, the personality of the person, his personality in society, etc. are taken into account. Now, a metropolitan mayor, the President of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey, and a metropolitan mayor who also served this country as a deputy in the parliament should not be tried in this way.

He is invited, he must be tried properly. "As far as we look at the allegations and the things conveyed to us, there is nothing that requires his arrest, I hope he will be released and return to his family."

“I HOPE THEY WASTE IT TOO”

When a journalist asked about comments that the operations aimed to cause a change of management in the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye and the municipalities, Yavaş gave the following answer:

"There is no such number in the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye. There is no such number in Mersin Metropolitan Municipality. I hope that they will nullify it themselves, provided that they are released."