Mansur Yavaş on Investigation Permission: 'Everyone Sees the Double Standard!'

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş has responded strongly to the Ministry of Interior's decision to grant permission for an investigation into allegations of using municipal vehicles during a 2023 election rally in Karabük. Yavaş, speaking to Aytunç Erkin from Nefes newspaper, characterized the investigation as a "forced" attempt to find wrongdoing and criticized what he perceives as a clear "double standard" in the application of justice.

According to Mayor Yavaş, the investigation originated from a complaint he personally initiated. He explained that a municipal sound technician, Osman Cem Taşbaş, was suspended after a MASAK (Financial Crimes Investigation Board) report indicated he had arranged paid work for a company involved in a concert investigation, despite not being a suspect himself. Yavaş stated that his complaint was based on the technician's alleged misuse of municipal equipment, suggesting the technician might have transported people to a rally in Çankırı for payment.

"What would you do out of the blue with something you have no connection to? Nothing! Is there a need to file a petition out of the blue? No! This person files a petition," Yavaş elaborated, implying the technician's actions were self-serving and unrelated to his own mayoral duties. He firmly stated his own integrity, asserting, "I don't receive a salary, I don't ride municipal cars in elections! I am that meticulous."

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Belediyenin ses tesisatçısı Osman Cem Taşbaş, konser soruşturmasında biliyorsunuz şüpheli olmadığı halde MASAK raporunda konser yaptırılan firmaya paralı iş yaptırdığı ortaya çıkınca açığa alındı. Memur böyle bir şey yapamaz! Dolayısıyla bu şahıs hakkında belediyenin aletlerini kullandığı için savcılığa şikayette bulunduk. Belli ki buna MASAK raporu verilmiş. Alakanız olmayan bir şeyle durup dururken ne yaparsınız? Hiçbir şey! Durup dururken dilekçe vermenize gerek var mı? Yok! Dilekçe veriyor bu şahıs. Muhtemelen Çankırı mitingine parayla götürdü insanları. Benin ne alakam olabilir? Ben maaş almıyorum, seçimlerde belediyenin arabasına binmem! O kadar titizim.

Mayor Yavaş expressed his disappointment with the current state of the legal system, lamenting the "double standard" he believes is evident in how individuals are treated. He highlighted that inspectors have repeatedly reviewed the municipality's affairs, finding no irregularities, yet are allegedly instructed to "examine once more." He remains confident, stating, "God willing, there is nothing we are afraid of regarding ourselves. This is how the law has become, unfortunately! Everyone sees the double standard, the double standard applied to people. I am saddened. It shouldn't be like this in the state!"

From the perspective of Cumhuriyet and many of its readers in Turkey, this situation is viewed through the lens of political maneuvering and perceived injustices. Mayor Yavaş, a prominent opposition figure, is often seen as a target of the ruling party. His explanation, emphasizing his own proactive complaint and his meticulous adherence to regulations, resonates with a segment of the public that feels such investigations are politically motivated. The criticism of "double standards" is a common refrain in Turkish political discourse, suggesting that opposition figures are held to a different, harsher standard than those aligned with the government. The article frames Yavaş not just as a mayor under investigation, but as a victim of a system he believes is unfairly applied, highlighting a deep-seated skepticism towards governmental oversight when it involves political opponents.

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Yani böyle bir zorlama var, bir şey bulabilir miyiz? (Gülerek) Bir şey bulacaklar herhalde. Son zamanlarda müfettişler geliyor, inceliyor, bir olumsuzluk bulamayınca ‘bir kez daha inceleyin’ diyorlar. Gelsinler bakalım! Allah’ın izniyle kendimizden korktuğumuz bir durum yok. Hukuk böyle oldu artık. Maalesef! Çifte standart, insanlara uygulanan çifte standardı herkes görüyor. Üzülüyorum. Devlette böyle olmamalı!