Letter from detained Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan: 'My conscience is clear'

Detained Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan sent a letter to journalists before his cross-examinations that will start this week.

Stating in his letter that he has been away from his freedom for 17 months, Şahan emphasized that there is no decision or work for which he cannot be held accountable.

Şahan, who was arrested within the scope of the Urban Consensus investigation on March 19, 2025 and has been in prison since then, said, "The accusation against me that day was the Turkey Alliance - Urban Consensus policy that we defended in the local elections and the representation of everyone in local governments. I stood behind that policy yesterday and I still do today. As a matter of fact, I see it as an important opportunity for Turkey that this ground, for which I was accused on March 19, has become one of the fundamental issues for the future of the country. It is here for me." "The issue is not who is right, but that Türkiye is moving towards the right place." he said.

The full letter written by detained Şahan, who stated that a release order was issued for him in the City Reconciliation file, but continued to remain in prison because he was also arrested within the scope of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality investigation, is as follows:

''I was arrested on March 19, 2025 due to the Urban Consensus.

The accusation against me that day was the Türkiye Alliance - City Consensus policy that we defended in the local elections and the representation of everyone in local governments. I stood behind that policy yesterday and I still stand today. As a matter of fact, I see it as an important opportunity for Türkiye that this ground, for which I was accused on March 19, has become one of the fundamental issues regarding the future of the country. For me, the issue here is not who is right, but Türkiye's legitimacy in the right place.

I think the chronology of what happened afterwards is also important.

At a time when the possibility of my release from the Urban Consensus file was getting stronger, I was arrested for the second time, this time within the scope of the IMM file. After a while, I was released from the detention investigation before my indictment had even been issued in the City Reconciliation file. However, I could not leave Silivri due to the second arrest warrant issued against me.

Today, I have been away from my freedom for 17 months.

Last week, I appeared before the committee for the second time during my last detention review. As a young mayor, Türkiye's biggest and most powerful contractors and business people were put in front of me, and a number of accusations were made that would never be compatible with my life and the values ​​I believe in. I answered these accusations one by one. I explained which decision I made and why, where my authority begins, where it ends, what the public gets as a result of the transactions, and what I personally got in return for all of this.

Throughout my defense, I asked myself three simple questions: What did I do? What was my authority? What did I personally get in return for all this?

When I look at the file, the result I see is very clear: What money. What a property. What a privilege.

I protected the rights of Şişli entrusted to me, public property and people's safety. I have been discussing every job I do, every decision I make, in my conscience for 17 months. Even though I explained all this in front of the court, a decision was made to continue my detention once again. On Monday, we move to a new phase of the trial and begin cross-examinations. For this reason, I wanted to directly share with you my entire defense and the information notes we prepared regarding the technical allegations against me. It is very valuable for me that you put the allegations and my answers side by side, examine the documents and make your own evaluation.

In my defense, I also explained my concerns about the legal order we are in today and the consequences of this order. I said that a system in which people's freedom can be transformed into a response to the statements they give about each other and where blaming someone else is seen as a way out instead of telling the truth cannot produce justice for anyone. I call it a wheel. And I don't want this wheel to change direction one day and what is done to us today will be done to others tomorrow.

As I said in my defense: I do not want this wheel to turn around tomorrow. I want this wheel to stop and this wheel to break.

We need a country where the law does not change depending on who is against it, and where people can live with the feeling of "if you tell the truth, you will be protected", not with the feeling of "if you blame someone else, you will be saved". It does not need people who are "effective regrets" of each other, but rather democrats who consider each other as rivals.

Our cross-examinations begin on Monday. I will continue to give an open account of every job I do and every decision I make, as I have done so far. When I look back after 17 months, I don't have a job that I want to keep or a decision that I can't stand behind.

My conscience is clear. I did my job.

With love and respect''