Gülenist members of the judiciary to stand trial


Two prosecutors and a judge affiliated with the Gülen Movement, which allegedly infiltrated government institutions in an apparent attempt to oust the elected government, will stand trial roughly two months after being suspended from duty. The prosecutors who conducted the December 17 and December 25 operations to allegedly topple the government, along with a judge, will be tried on charges of unbecoming conduct and various other crimes. The country's top judicial watchdog HSYK decided on December 28, 2014 to suspend Prosecutors Celal Kara, Zekeriya Öz, Muammer Akkaş and Mehmet Yüzgeç, all affiliated with the Gülen Movement. The HSYK report explained that the decision for the suspension of Kara was made because he failed to provide the right of defense to those who were detained as part of the December 17 operation. It also mentioned that the 3,419-page summary proceeding was not examined. The HSYK investigators' report stresses that Akkaş committed numerous irregularities that led to the detention of many people. Suspects were detained, while no evidence was found in the 22 files in which Akkaş issued detention requests without examining bags of sealed documents. Akkaş is accused of preparing a quickly-written indictment before conducting an examination based on evidence. Other than wiretapped recordings, the authenticity of which has not been confirmed, Akkaş was not able to provide solid evidence. The report also says that no documents or files were found on the transactions or tenders that were related to alleged corruption. Akkaş will be put on trial for handing out notices, Kara, for keeping wiretapping reports of the former interior minister Muammer Güler and the wife of Reza Zarrab, a businessman who was detained as part of December 17 operation, and Süleyman Karaçöl, for unlawfully issuing a stay on properties of suspects he investigated.