Court in Turkey sentences main opposition MP to 25 years jail time
On Wednesday (June 14), court in Turkey ordered main opposition party CHP’s MP Enis Berberoğlu to be jailed for 25 years.
On the 6th hearing of the case on the MİT (National Intelligence Organization of Turkey) trucks, judge first sentenced Berberoğlu to life imprisonment over accusations of ‘political and military espionage’ and ‘support to Fethullahist terrorist organization (FETÖ)’ and then lowered the jail sentence to 25 years.
Journalists of Cumhuriyet newspaper Can Dündar and Erdem Gül are also suspects of the case.
After the court issued a warrant of arrest against the CHP lawmaker Berberoğlu, the MP gave a statement to Bianet and said: ‘This is the illegal justice of the new Turkey. This is what happens when those who had been together, day and night, with FETÖ members become judges!’
In a brief video footage recorded at the court house after the decision, Berberoğlu said: ‘We used to come here (to the court house) for the victims. Now, we’ve come for ourselves. They (officials) have created this victimization out of something that did not happen. Shame is on those who’ve done this!”
Immediately after the decision of the court, chair of CHP, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, called on for an emergency meeting. CHP MPs at the parliament left the room during the general session after the decision was announced. Giving a bried statement after leaving the parliament, Manisa MP Özgür Özel said the decision is 'a verification of the active fascism' in the country.
First official statement of CHP came from deputy chair Engin Altay.
"This is a decision given to intimidate the opposition," said Altay and added that 'neither CHP nor others who are against the dictatorship will allow this beutiful country to become the farm of the dictator.'
Altay continued with the following remarks: "Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will be tried at international courts as a war criminal. Erdoğan should not forget that this nation and CHP will not let him get away with the things he has done."