Denizli Democracy Platform Demands Fair Trial for Mayor and Detainees

Denizli Democracy Platform issued a statement regarding the investigation into Merkezefendi Municipality and the detentions carried out within its scope. The statement was read by Gökhan Önem, head of the Denizli Medical Chamber.

The platform said it has followed the investigation and detentions with concern since the first moment. It stressed that no one is exempt from judicial oversight, but added that the legitimacy of legal processes is measured by the full application of the presumption of innocence, fair trial, and defense rights.

“Custody cannot be a method of punishment.”

The statement described taking individuals, including Mayor Şeniz Doğan, municipal executives, and personnel, directly into custody as wounding the public conscience. It argued that subjecting public officials whose residence and identity are known to custody as if they had already been convicted is incompatible with the principles of a state of law.

The platform also said custody and similar protective measures are exceptional and temporary measures. It warned that using them as a tool to declare people guilty in advance and discredit them violates the principle of proportionality.

Regarding the restriction of access to lawyers, the platform called it unlawful to limit meetings with lawyers to “three lawyers” and to subject additional meetings to prosecutor approval. It said this practice constitutes a violation of law and a heavy blow to the right to defense.

Citing the Code of Criminal Procedure, the statement emphasized that a lawyer can provide legal assistance at every stage of the investigation and that a suspect can always meet with their lawyer. It described the right to defense not as a favor but as an inviolable constitutional right.

The platform demanded the immediate termination of practices that undermine the right to defense. It called on the judiciary to act impartially, independently, and in accordance with universal legal norms, and announced that it will follow every stage of the investigation.