Detained Turkish mayor claims 'crime' was serving his city

The Çankaya Municipality in Turkey hosted a "Unity Aşure" event, bringing together numerous non-governmental organizations to express solidarity with the imprisoned Mayor Hüseyin Can Güner. The gathering, held at Esat Özgürlük Square, began with a moment of silence and the national anthem.

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We are all standing together for the will of Çankaya, for justice, and for solidarity.

Çankaya Deputy Mayor Aydın Özsoy delivered the opening speech, voicing strong support for Mayor Güner and declaring, "We are all standing together for the will of Çankaya, for justice, and for solidarity." He added, "We believe in the rule of law. We have no objection to every allegation being investigated by an independent and impartial judiciary. We have no accounts to settle, no actions to explain. Our trust in our Mayor and his colleagues is complete." Özsoy stressed that accusations are not convictions and that the presumption of innocence must apply equally to all, not just those close to power.

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We believe in the rule of law. We have no objection to every allegation being investigated by an independent and impartial judiciary. We have no accounts to settle, no actions to explain. Our trust in our Mayor and his colleagues is complete.

Mayor Güner sent a message from Kırşehir Closed Prison, expressing his deep regret for not being able to attend the event he had planned. He stated that his arrest, based on a "flight risk," lacked legal basis and that his true "crime" was being a republican, a democrat, a patriot, and the mayor of Atatürk's Çankaya. Güner asserted that he and his colleagues are also accused of protecting the interests of Çankaya's residents, preventing them from paying an extra 5 million lira monthly.

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However, an allegation is not a conviction. An investigation is not a conviction. Arrest cannot be transformed into a conviction in advance. The presumption of innocence cannot be applied differently to those close to the government and to the opposition.

"Our crime is to protect your budget to the fullest," Güner declared, explaining that those who constantly sought to find fault with his administration, despite failing to uncover any wrongdoing, resorted to fabricated reasons for his arrest. He concluded by expressing his belief that "these days will surely pass, and we will be together again in bright, beautiful days soon."

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The true measure of justice is how those in power treat not those close to them, but those they see as their opponents.