Mansur Yavaş Reacts to Operation Against Çankaya Belediyesi: 'We Want Equal Law'

Ankara Büyükşehir Belediye Başkanı Mansur Yavaş made a harsh statement following the detention of Belediye Başkanı Hüseyin Can Güner as part of an operation targeting Çankaya Belediyesi. Yavaş gathered in front of the Çankaya Belediye building with CHP member mayors and party members, delivering a message of solidarity. During this demonstration, he criticized the legal processes directed at local governments, stating they had turned into a tool for political pressure. He emphasized that this pressure on local administrations means ignoring the will of the people. He noted that his goal was to stand in unity with his colleagues against injustice.

In his speech, Yavaş stated that his party's mayors have achieved a high success rate recently and gained significant public support. He expressed that this success is also the biggest indicator of an upcoming change in political power in the country. However, he said this picture has paved the way for increased legal and administrative pressure on opposition municipalities. In his own words, he pointed out that their counterparts are now no longer just the voters, but directly the police and prosecutor's offices. Yavaş described the prioritization of judicial processes over the will of the people as a concerning development in Turkish politics.

Expressing his discomfort that consecutive operations against CHP municipalities have turned into routine administrative inspections, Yavaş stated that old-style complaint processes are now completely obsolete. He said that in the past, complaints were submitted to İçişleri Bakanlığı, investigated by inspectors, and drawn-out investigation processes have now been replaced by instant detention decisions based on heavy charges such as embezzlement and bribery. Arguing that mayors have always complied when summoned by judicial authorities and that there is no suspicion of them fleeing, Yavaş claimed that such radical decisions are unjust. Reminding that his own asset declarations are shared with the public in a completely transparent manner, he emphasized that they have nothing to fear. He argued that even if elected officials need to be tried, this process should be carried out freely, not under prison conditions.

The Ankara Büyükşehir Belediye Başkanı claimed that a double standard is being applied in the legal system and did not hesitate to describe the current situation as 'law of the enemy'. He reminded that despite the countless complaint petitions he filed regarding past period bureaucrats after taking office in 2019, none of those individuals were detained or arrested. He stated that at that time, judicial processes continued fairly and in accordance with the presumption of innocence, which is how it should be. However, he expressed that at the point reached today, this legal standard has completely disappeared and they are faced with a totally different treatment. Noting that Güner's detention via an operation was recorded as the 39th operation against CHP member mayors across the country, he drew attention to the systematic nature of the process.

Finally, Yavaş expressed his deep discomfort that news about Hüseyin Can Güner's detention had emerged in the media a week in advance. Arguing that the prior leaking of a judicial procedure through the press is a serious security and legal scandal, Yavaş said the source of this information must be investigated. In his own words, saying 'We want equal law', he called for the same legal and democratic standards to be applied to all political views. Stating that the judiciary should avoid being used as a tool to solve political issues, Yavaş added that mayors will be penalized not by the law striking a blow, but by the people at the ballot box.