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Detained Lawyer Protests Imprisonment in Ahbap Association Probe
🇹🇷 Turkey /Crime & Justice

Detained Lawyer Protests Imprisonment in Ahbap Association Probe

From Cumhuriyet · () Turkish

Translated from Turkish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Lawyer Ece Güner, detained as part of an investigation into the Ahbap Association, protested her continued imprisonment.
  • Güner claims she had a year-long interaction with Ahbap founder Haluk Levent, primarily focused on recovering a debt she had loaned him.
  • She asserts she has no affiliation with Ahbap, provided no fundraising calls for them, and that her financial transactions were legally documented as loans and repayments.

Lawyer Ece Güner, who was detained as part of an investigation into the Ahbap Association, has voiced strong objections to her ongoing pre-trial detention. Güner maintains her innocence and has outlined her position in a six-point statement, asserting that she has no connection to the aid organization or its founder, Haluk Levent, beyond a personal financial dispute.

I have no connection with the AHBAP Association; I never have. I don't know anyone in the AHBAP Association, and no one knows me. The statements in the file confirm they do not know me.

— Av. Ece GünerGüner clarifies her lack of affiliation with the Ahbap Association.

Güner stated that her relationship with Haluk Levent lasted approximately one year, from the summer of 2023 to the summer of 2024. A significant portion of this period, she claims, was spent trying to recover a debt she had personally loaned to Levent. She emphasized that her financial transfers were clearly marked in her bank records as "loan for dollars" and subsequent repayments were recorded as "debt repayment."

My acquaintance with Haluk Levent lasted only 1 year (summer 2023-summer 2024): a significant part of this year was spent struggling to collect the amount I lent him.

— Av. Ece GünerGüner details the timeline and nature of her interaction with Haluk Levent.

Furthermore, Güner explicitly denied ever being a lawyer, manager, auditor, employee, or volunteer for the Ahbap Association. She also stated she never made any fundraising appeals on behalf of the organization. According to Güner, statements from individuals within the association confirm they do not know her, reinforcing her claim of no professional or organizational ties.

The money I lent was sent with the record 'I am lending dollars' from my bank; the repayments were made with the record 'debt repayment'. The debt money I sent is my legally taxed personal income. MASAK reports confirm all my statements: I also attached them to my objection petition.

— Av. Ece GünerGüner explains the documented nature of her financial transactions with Haluk Levent.

She concluded by stating that after largely recovering her debt, albeit at a loss, she blocked Levent and has had no contact with him for two years, since the summer of 2024. Güner questions the basis for her detention and imprisonment, highlighting that MASAK (Financial Crimes Investigation Board) reports corroborate her account of the financial transactions. She is demanding clarity on the charges against her and the reasons for her continued incarceration.

Why am I being tried in detention? What is my crime? The Facts in the File and a Single Question: Why Am I Detained?

— Av. Ece GünerGüner questions the legal basis for her detention and imprisonment.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Cumhuriyet in Turkish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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