Image of Woman in Pajamas During Mersin Municipality Operation Leaked to the Press, Opposition Demands Answers from Ministers

During the operation against Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, images of a woman in her pajamas who opened the door during a house search were leaked to the press, which drew a reaction. Opposition MPs also submitted parliamentary questions to the Parliament on the issue. However, similar images leaked to the public during municipal operations have been asked to ministers with proposals for a long time and have not received a response.

For example; DEM Party member Sevilay Çelenk referred to the images of politicians accompanied by the police within the scope of IMM operations in the parliamentary questions she submitted last year, requesting answers from former justice and interior ministers, and said, "People are systematically discredited in front of the public. It is an unacceptable practice for detained people to be paraded in public places with their hands handcuffed."

Çelenk: "How is it explained that this practice, which clearly violates the presumption of innocence, is carried out systematically by the law enforcement? Have your ministries initiated any investigation, audit or investigation regarding such exposure practices?" Although he asked questions, he did not receive an answer.

THE QUESTIONING DEPUTY SWITCHED TO AKP

Izmir Deputy Mustafa Bilici, who submitted a similar motion in August last year, said: "According to the information reflected in the press, the images of the detention of some bureaucrats in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality were shared with the press and social media channels by the police units. Sharing the images of the moments of detention of people whose judicial process has not yet been completed with the public may harm the principle of the presumption of innocence, as well as serious problems in terms of privacy of private life and the right to a fair trial. Such practices may be motivated by administrative or political motives." "The public perception that this was done undermines social trust in security units," he said.

Bilici: "Was the process of serving the images to the press and social media carried out in accordance with the instructions of your ministry? Has an administrative investigation been initiated regarding the publication of the images within the framework of the presumption of innocence and the principles of protection of personal data? Is there a circular or directive being prepared for the police force in order to prevent such situations from occurring again?" questions remained unanswered. Bilici, who made this proposal, joined the AKP in August this year.