The defendant İlker Başbuğ and his lawyers İlkay Sezer and Hilal Demirelli attended the hearing at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
According to the news in AA, the defendant Başbuğ, who made his defense at the hearing, stated that he cared about the unity and integrity of the nation first and foremost while he was on duty and after his retirement, and said, “Those who accuse the people of inciting hatred and enmity by a person who defends these thoughts, first of all, of this nation and then of this nation. I would like to say that history will not forgive.” used his statements.
Hilal Demirelli, the lawyer who was promised at the hearing, requested the acquittal of her client, noting that the defendant Başbuğ evaluated a period in his words and that there was no relation between that period and this period.
The defendant İlker Başbuğ, whose last word was asked at the hearing, said, “I demand my acquittal.” said.
The court ruled that the elements of the crime charged on the accused İlker Başbuğ did not occur and decided to acquit him.
Making a statement to members of the press after the hearing, Başbuğ stated that he did not want to talk about his acquittal and said, “My personal position is not important at all on a day when we are experiencing such great pain.” he said.
Başbuğ stated that Turkey is facing the biggest natural disasters in the history of the Republic and wished God’s mercy to those who lost their lives in the earthquake and a speedy recovery to the injured.
FROM THE CLAIM
In the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was stated that Başbuğ implied a coup in an interview on the third book of the “Struggle of Power Centers in the Republic of Turkey” in a newspaper on January 4, 2021.
In the indictment, in which 166 people, including the heads of some provinces and districts of the AK Party and the heads of women’s branches, were “complainants”, İlker Başbuğ implied a “coup” in the said interview and thus “openly incited the public to hatred and enmity.” It was recorded that he had committed the crime of “insulting or humiliating”.
In the indictment, it was requested that the accused İlker Başbuğ be sentenced to imprisonment from 1 to 3 years.
