“Mr. Judge, first of all, as you said, a complaint investigation that started upon a so-called complaint was turned into a judicial investigation as of the day I announced my presidential candidacy. And one minute before the end of working hours! Therefore, this is not a diploma case, it is a struggle to disable a presidential candidate of a President, turned into a political case against his candidate, so to speak. Therefore, it is necessary to listen and perceive this case with this eye. Today, I want to start with Yunus's words: ‘The tongue speaks, the ear listens; the heart speaks, the universe listens.’ Therefore, I will speak from the heart, I will speak from my heart. I wish and want you to listen to me from the heart in the same way, on behalf of the Turkish nation. When you look at what is the reason for our meeting and presence here today in this context; actually, unfortunately, the supreme Turkish judiciary does not like the building, does not like the hall, does not even like the judge. We are currently in a position that has come to that state. I hope such events do not happen to you and judges like you representing the supreme Turkish judiciary.

But it happens! And it is so interesting that, with what probability in a quadrillion, specifically in the last 8 months regarding me, including one before, when we look at the changes in about 10-12 related hearings, we encounter practices that will not happen in the history of Turkish judiciary, in the history of Turkish politics, in a really interesting way in this period.”

“Where silence increases, cruelty finds courage”

“But let me say this: Where silence increases, cruelty finds courage. Those who hold power take courage from this situation. Cruelties that know no boundaries, unlawful acts, rise to the peak. In order not to give opportunity to this, I accept myself as the most responsible person on behalf of 86 million people right now. Let this not look like my legal struggle. Actually, my struggle is a struggle against cruelty on behalf of the Turkish nation in this heavenly homeland. I express my determination in this struggle against cruelty. And I express in the presence of the supreme Turkish judiciary and in your presence that; no power can daunt me. Be sure that I am stronger today than yesterday. Tomorrow, I will be a thousand times stronger than this. And the next day I will be a thousand times stronger again. I cannot even describe how my power increases. Because 86 million citizens are behind me. I walk the path with their power too. We know very well that; the legitimacy of the state is not in the silence of its citizens, but in being able to say their word without fear, this is the meaning. Because the breath of democracy is criticism.

The heart of the Republic is its conscience. We trust this deep conscience. I have fought endlessly to mobilize the conscience, the wisdom of 86 million, and I will continue to fight...”

“The enemy of the republic are those who subordinate their thought to one person and bow down”

“The greatest enemy of our Republic is not those who think differently, but those who give up thinking. The enemy of the Republic are those who subordinate their thoughts to one person and bow down. Because, a society that does not think loses first its justice, then its freedom, and finally its memory. I am one of the people who will never allow memory loss in these lands which have a state tradition of thousands of years. This situation is; the non-existence of the state's, the nation's existence and future. I am someone who believes in the sanctity of the struggle for the unity, togetherness and survival of this state, this nation. I will continue on my way within the framework of this sanctity. Our indispensable struggle is for the Republic of Türkiye State to live forever, to be crowned with a strong democracy and to integrate with justice. All the events we experienced in the past days, as I said, are only moves that increase my struggle power. My belief that our future will be very beautiful with our reaching this destination increases every passing day. They can detain and throw into prison the one who speaks, the one who criticizes, the one who expresses their opinion, in the darkness of the morning, before the sun rises.

They can hold me and many of my friends captive unlawfully in this sense. Under isolation, they can subject dozens of investigations to the violation of the presumption of innocence.

But let no one doubt that we will not be silent, our voices will come out louder and we will grow the courage together. Let this be known as such.”

“And I came here to accuse…”

“And I came here to accuse. I am accusing. I accuse them of injustice. I accuse those who deceive the nation, those who turn the judiciary into a tool of politics. Which I will express one by one regarding the file how they activated the elements of deception shortly. I accuse those who surrender the power of justice to the power of politics without hesitation. I believe one hundred percent that those who commit this crime must definitely give account before the law. And I want to underline that the days when the persons who sign this injustice, who sign unjust practices, will give account cracklingly in these halls, in the days when there is fair judiciary, are very close. Therefore, I am aware that not being silent, not allowing anyone to be silenced is a homeland service, a nation service, a future service today.

If we do not speak today, much more difficult days await our country; know this. Speaking the truth on behalf of our nation is absolutely my endless determination and my duty. Law in this country no longer operates with its own flow of law either.

It is shaped according to the results needed by the government.”

“In all criminal cases where my name is mentioned, the places of the judges were changed”

“Look; even the picture experienced recently is exemplary alone. I am touching briefly for now. In the fool case, in the March 19 process, in the diploma case, in the diploma cancellation administrative court process, in every criminal case where my name is mentioned… Believe me it is not a joke, it is real. I say it emphasizing strongly: In all criminal cases where my name is mentioned, the places of the judges were changed. This is very interesting. I underline this really to protect your profession, Mr. Judge. To protect your profession… Justice is the foundation of the property (state), that is, justice is at the service of the state, it forms the foundation of the state. I fight for this feeling, for this concept. It is not subject to politics. So are you subject to politics? We have to make the proof of 'are you here to decide on behalf of the nation' together, we are obliged to.”

“This is not a process progressing in its natural flow”

“In that respect, the re-establishment of the committee to look at the İBB investigation, frankly all these, I would like to express as a sign of where the ‘natural judge principle’, which is really an inseparable part of the right to a fair trial, has remained, as a question that needs to be asked. Mr. Judge, you are the judge of this case and you were newly appointed to this file. Even this fact alone shows that: Really, this is not a process progressing in its natural flow. It will not be an easy situation for you either. I am aware of this too. But it is not an easy situation at all for the judge sent from here to another duty. An environment where he is left under suspicion has been created. And frankly, I express that my right to a fair trial is taken away.

The fact that this file is being directed by a new hand at every critical stage is a great threat. There cannot be such a case. I mean, the referee is not changed during the match.”

“All of Türkiye will hear this question of mine”

“Mr. Judge, I respect you and your office at the highest level, of course. The thing I dislike most in life is being prejudiced. My mother and father are here. Since the moment I was born, I have never looked at anyone with prejudiced eyes. I never fought with anyone in life. Just as I never fought with anyone… They say, didn't you ever fight as a child? I swear I didn't. Neither did I beat anyone nor did I get beaten by anyone. My friends are here too. I mean, I never had such trouble. My trouble is to make the environment as beautiful as possible with ease and ensure that a correct decision can come out from there. They looked with a microscope; they are analyzing from the day I was born to today. They looked at everything but they could not find a fight of mine, they could not find a hostility of mine.

They only made some people slanderers by forcing them, or made them false witnesses, or turned them into invisible witnesses, secret witnesses. That is why I trust myself and in this sense, I have no trouble with your personality or the office of the state. I want you to know this as such.

But my question is clear and all of Türkiye will hear this question of mine. If I prove that all my documents, all the transactions I made, all the documents I submitted are one by one real, not fake, if I ensure this, will you really be able to make an independent decision under this pressure, in this atmosphere?”

“Justice does not change by changing the judge; truth can never be hidden by promoting the prosecutor”

“I ask this question here not only for myself but for all judges trying to do their duty correctly in Türkiye. And let it be known that; justice does not change by changing the judge. Truth can never be hidden by promoting the prosecutor. You hide it today, it comes out tomorrow. The will of the nation can never and never be taken captive with operations. In this country… -I will ask a dangerous question: Can I drink water?- Of course, I tell those who act with irregular trials, those who make the judicial power unable to act independently from here: You are not judging me in the name of justice. You are acting against the law. These are a handful of people. I express these people as ‘a handful of people’ and express them as ‘a handful of ambitious people’.

You are trying to judge not with merit, but with loyalty to one person. But in vain. I judge you, those who make these moves, on behalf of the supreme Turkish nation. Everyone who is instrumental in this will give ac-count before the fair judiciary when the day comes. I stand tall, the nation stands tall; and law finds its place sooner or later.

That is why I am here today.”

“What was it? I committed forgery in documents! A complete slander, plot…”

“This defense and my defenses are on behalf of our nation. On behalf of our children, our youth and our future. Mr. Judge, I express with regret that; today we are once again in the most absurd, most ridiculous, most fabricated case in Türkiye's history.

We are in the case opened to create a base for the lawlessness done by cancelling my diploma, for this miserable cancellation decision. What was it? I committed forgery in documents!

A complete slander, plot… An allegation full of lies, distortions and deceptions inside.

With the prosecution’s mind-boggling, compelling ‘cancel the diploma’ letter, doing this transaction unlawfully, unauthorizedly, to support the process started by the rectorate and the administrative board which went down as a black stain in Istanbul University history… Because it is a business that stands with difficulty.

It needed support. We are together in the case fabricated to support it.

If you ask all of Türkiye’s respected jurists, experienced judges, professors about my diploma, the answer they will give you is unique: Yes, my diploma is as halal as my mother's white milk, it is legal, it is legitimate.”

“I do not accept these accusations, I reject them violently”

“I did not eat anyone's right. I did not commit forgery in any document. I applied to the quota opened by the state's university, to the newspaper advertisement it gave, and gained the right. For this reason, I do not accept these accusations that reach the denial of the state and its institutions and attempt to judge only the 19-year-old Ekrem… 19 years old… Rewound. Rewind the world to 35 years ago. Attempting to judge the 19-year-old Ekrem, I reject these accusations with great discontent. Even against those who make these accusations and are in the attempt to cancel my diploma, I declare from here that I will seek my right with endless struggle. Especially regarding a black stain smeared on our state tradition, on the principle of continuity of the state, on the respectability of institutions, I declare from here that I will ask for account from all its actors, cracklingly, before the fair judiciary in this world, whatever my position is, wherever I am, and I will settle accounts in the presence of Allah in the other world tomorrow. As all of Türkiye knows, the sole reason for our presence here is the presidential candidacy duty given to me by our nation.

It is not just any candidacy. 2 million members of the Republican People's Party and millions of our people coming to the ballot box and voting… With a process where 15.5 million people voted, and afterwards more than 25 million people supported with signatures, in a way that will not happen in world history, my presidential candidacy duty is the whole reason.”

“The name of this case in my eyes is not a diploma forgery, document forgery case, but the ‘prevention of Ekrem İmamoğlu's presidential candidacy’ case”

“For this reason, the name of this case in my eyes is not a diploma forgery, document forgery case, but the ‘prevention of Ekrem İmamoğlu's presidential candidacy’ case. Attempting to seize democracy, the right to elect and be elected, the will of the nation, Türkiye's future with such a forced decision surprises neither me nor our nation. We will overcome these absurd days all together as a nation. It does not surprise; because, they did everything. They cancelled the election they lost. They cancelled the election they lost by fabricating, by speaking lies, by throwing slanders, by saying ‘thieves’, by saying ‘there are terrorists at the ballot boxes’. Not one person had an investigation, not one person was judged. But the nation, by carrying 13,600 votes to 806 thousand votes, slapped like a slap… Not on one cheek, but on two cheeks ‘smack’ like a slap on the face. That is why this nation does not deviate. We will overcome these absurd days. They created every kind of difficulty. I underwent thousands of inspections, thousands… I experienced every kind of difficulty, every kind of obstruction. That is why I see myself as the most fearless person in the world.

The most fearless person in history. Against whom? Against the bad. Against whom? Against the cruel. Against whom? Against cruelty. Against whom?

Against everyone who is unjust. Our dear children and youth who live today, who follow this process, especially our future, will never and never forgive those who are in this setup.

Everyone, the child in their home will hold them responsible. Everyone present or absent here, inside or outside this decision will hold them responsible.

Because I fight for them. Those who are involved in this process will not be able to look at even their own children's faces.

To a handful of ambitious people who attempt to make a 19-year-old young man pay a price 35 years later, just because one person wanted… One person… This nation's conscience and fair judiciary will hold whoever is necessary responsible.”

“It turns, goes around all institutions but cannot find one fake document, paper”

“Let's return to the case, to the prosecution's absurd definition regarding forgery all together. The indictment file has such ending paragraphs that; it cannot put a full stop somehow. I have never seen a definition in my life where pages are transferred with so many commas. It cannot put a full stop. Because it fabricates. It cannot base it on a concrete document. Because there is none. It is a pity. It turns, goes around all institutions but cannot find one fake document, paper. The expressions in the indictment and those explained with dozens of paragraphs are full of hearsays like the indictment currently on Türkiye's agenda. And at the same time, it cannot go beyond ‘I guess, I had seen, I had heard’. Even they fall into the effort of expressing what is written, drawn by distorting, with lies. The arrangement of this disgraceful indictment damages the reputation of the Turkish judiciary. Close this business as soon as possible, finish it as soon as possible. It is my advice to you Mr. Judge. Save the honor of the supreme Turkish judiciary. Within the framework of all I said, there is no fake document in the file in your hand, nor is there document forgery.

By the way, there are four parties in this absurd case: The 19-year-old me… I still look 25. My energy is high, let me say that.

Girne American University, -with its old name University College of Northern Cyprus (UCNC)- Istanbul University and The Council of Higher Education (YÖK). But the interesting thing is that;

The one accused and wanted to be punished is me! And the 19-year-old me. Even…”

Dialogues with the judge: “They separate only my file. Why do you think? Could it be because I am a presidential candidate?”

Judge: I want to ask you something by intervening. Now there is a petition of the 19-year-old Ekrem İmamoğlu.

He wrote to the Istanbul University Rectorate regarding this lateral transfer. You want to make a lateral transfer, you wrote a reason saying ‘since my economic situation is not good and since I want to study primarily at Istanbul University’.

Was your economic situation not good in that period?

“There was a crisis. I was inside the business life Mr. Judge. Did only that attract your attention in our file? Did only that attract your attention in the whole file? I was working a job at 19. I can tell you about my business life too if you want.”

Judge: Also something attracted my attention. You received a letter regarding your bank account to Girne American University. I just want you to explain this.

I asked for that.

“That is, I think, the most critical point ! I will tell you many more things until I get there. But you started from a very bad place. I mean, I wish you hadn't started from this. You created prejudice. Prejudice does not occur in me but you created prejudice, it was a pity. Let your question stay, I will answer you. You started from a very bad place. Even this question counts as ‘I guess’ by the way. I mean this thing you said counts as an ‘I guess statement’. It is neither document nor document forgery. Even the truth I will tell can be considered an ‘I guess’ for you. My advice to you; please think about your questions well Mr. Judge. While a similar claim was arranged about my 27 friends too, in a very interesting way, they separate only my file. They say, ‘By the way, none of them should be judged.’ They separate, they turn my file into a case with haste. I ask then: Why do you think so? Could it be because I am a presidential candidate? This is a difficult question because. You are right to say ‘I can’t know’ to this. Because it concerns one person.

He stays in the Palace!

“I can fight evil when I am 19 as well”

Judge: I am not doing the investigation.

“Okay, I ask you as the judge too. Then shall we ask the prosecution? Let’s ask there if you want. I wouldn't want to do something against the procedure.”

Judge: You continue your defense.

“Alright. Let me continue my defense. And you, think before you ask anymore questions. The prosecution says: ‘We only want to deal with you. The instruction is so. Because, we want to disable you in the presidential candidacy…’ Dream on! You cannot disable me. I have 86 million people behind me, I have 16 million Istanbulites… "We will deal with you," they say. ‘The instruction is so. Because your presidential candidacy is harmful to us, harmful to the order we established, to the dark order!’ The diploma case is the most absurd part, the most absurd environment of a very clear political case chain; it is ahead of the “fool case”, the “ugly case” and others by far in an absurd way. Another striking situation in the essence of this indictment which tramples the law underfoot is essentially the prosecutors are trying to punish Ekrem who was 19 years old, exactly 35 years ago.

19 years old! I can fight evil when I am 19 as well, let me say that. I was determined that day too, I am determined today too. I speak for the children of everyone present here, let’s say that too.

The prosecution saying ‘I have no business’ with any relevant institution is also a tragicomic situation.”

“Not even one document is fake, real just like me”

“Let’s remind once again and come, which documents are inside; is there a fake document one by one; one by one, briefly… I will just show it and put it on the ground. Not even one document is fake. Just like me. How real I am, they are also real with everything, one by one. Because I have no fake, deceiving life section. Therefore, I want to take those documents here now. The petition that attracts your interest a lot is this. Look here, only my signature matured over time, apart from that everything is real. The young man here is also real. 19 years old. I mean there is a slight ugliness given by adolescence at these ages. Apart from that he is quite handsome again.

’In 88-89 academic year, in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which the university named Southeastern University Washington DC accredited…’ Look, I always write the details. The prosecutor’s indictment is such a lie fabrication that he wrote even these by distorting. The truth is here. Look at what the 19-year-old man wrote, it is enough. ‘…I finished first the preparatory department of the UCNC university it accredited, then the English business department second class without leaving any failed courses.

I want to finish the remaining part of my education in the English business department affiliated with the Higher Education Institution.

For this, I submit and offer my respects for the necessary action.’ My petition. It is this simple. This is real.”

“Do you know what the main truth is?”

“Look, do you know what the main truth is? The main truth is this. I did not give this. The huge Istanbul University gave an advertisement. Here there is no ‘these cannot enter, those cannot enter, except these’ whatever! It says ‘Make an application’. And I made an application with this petition. This is also real. Look; in Milliyet Newspaper. Full page. Huge Istanbul University. 1453 establishment... Not Ekrem İmamoğlu. One year before me, dozens of people made transfers by the way. I learned from them too that there was transfer. Then I saw this newspaper advertisement, the advertisement of the state's institution of hundreds of years, I made an application. Real… Real to the core. I prepared such a careful petition that I put my school's brochures in the attachment. What is the school? Which school is it? Where, how was it accredited? How does a university give a diploma, how does it not? I put them all. You cannot find it in another file. Thank God I kept these. Thank God. I am 19 years old and I kept my own documents. I must have thought ‘Tomorrow an enemy of honor, enemy of morality, enemy of justice will appear’.

I kept. Good for me.”

“I passed the 21 courses cracklingly too”

“I have student documents. My student documents are talked about a lot, these student documents. Regarding student registration… I put them here for that. What are these student documents? It is written here. Look, it says UNCN University. The student documents Istanbul University gave me... And one of them 6 months after registration. What was it sir? ‘Eastern Mediterranean 'was written in the logbook!’ As if I passed to the other side of the counter and I wrote Eastern Mediterranean for 50 students. Is it my job? He asks me this. I mean that smart aleck prosecutor asks me this. Real. Look here is my acceptance document. Real. Acceptance document. There are signatures of three university professors here, Mr. Judge. It writes which courses I will take, which courses I am exempt from. They exempted two courses, by inscribing in my schedule all the remaining courses from the first year, they accepted me. They appreciated it. I started school with 21 courses. And I passed those 21 courses with great notes. I extended school in a single course, one year later I finished that course too and graduated from that school. Some of my friends are here.

The student document I showed a moment ago is here too. Look what it says here. TRNC UCNC University.

It doesn't say ‘Eastern Mediterranean’. This is the document Istanbul University gave me.”

İmamoğlu: “Are you from Istanbul University too?”

Judge: Yes

“Look; the reason I put this document Istanbul University gave me is, what I want to say is this; logbook mogbook does not concern me. Look it says here, Istanbul University gave it. And it gave this to me in February of 1991. 5 months after registration. I asked for a student document for another institution again, the school arranged and gave in the same way. Look, February 91. It writes here, it writes again? ‘Istanbul University Faculty of Business Administration. The mentioned student came to our faculty from TRNC UNCN University as a second rank transfer’ it says. 6 months later. How should I know the logbook? You know he is obsessed with that logbook! The smart aleck prosecution will catch it from somewhere! This is my diploma. Intact. This is my diploma. Real, not fake. Mr. Judge, this is my graduation document. The university gave this to me too. I mean I didn't take it, the university gave it to me. You cannot go and take it anyway. You are a school graduate too. You finished school too. Which law I don't know. Are you from Istanbul University too?”

Judge: Istanbul University

“Okay. How nice. Look how nice, your right is being eaten too. This is also real. But before passing to this truth, let's refute this lie too. What was it sir? ‘He wrote about the Eastern Mediterranean in the book about Ekrem İmamoğlu!’ What is written here? ‘He entered the exams of Eastern Mediterranean University in Cyprus and won civil engineering. However, the few years he spent at Eastern Mediterranean University changed his mind, convincing his uncle, he enrolled in Girne American University Business Department.’ This is what is written in the book. I mean he wrote this in the book! If he wrote it in the book, what is it to me? But he didn't write that. The second of the lie… This is my friend's diploma. I mean, a friend of mine named Kaan, who studied at Girne American University, finished. Kaan received his diploma from Southeastern University later, this friend of mine. This friend of mine received his diploma in 1991, at the same time in year 95… Look; he studied at that university, finished, and received his equivalence from YÖK in 95 this friend. I mean the school I studied at is not equivalent, so, so, apocalypse..! It is not very important in my transfer but this friend of mine finished university there, received his equivalence in 95.”

“University diploma is needed only in presidential candidacy”

“My everything is real. One more thing is real here. Let me say that too. That is this: Can you look? The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office writes a letter! It is necessary to hit this disgrace, the face of the one who wrote this letter every day! It says; It has been determined that the administrative transactions regarding recognition, lateral transfer quotas, announcement periods and lateral transfer acceptance by Istanbul University Faculty of Business Administration Deanery were made contrary to the decisions of the Higher Education Council...’ The prosecutor determines! The prosecutor determines, says ‘It was made contrary’. Can the prosecution office write such a thing? You can put forward the allegation. ‘Having been determined!’ Ekrem is slipping away! He announced his presidential candidacy! Topple one of the men! He will be toppled anyway, when his day comes he will go, he will retire and go. Now, ‘This mentioned diploma being used…’ Look; ‘the mentioned diploma being continued to be used, parenthesis inside Supreme Election Council, close parenthesis, in this scope by showing the diploma as basis, for the works and transactions to be established not to be contrary to law, necessary transactions to be made as soon as possible…’ he says.

A university diploma is needed in Türkiye, in public, only in presidential candidacy. It is a shame. It is a shame. What kind of disgrace is this?

The prosecutor who writes this receives a promotion on top! ‘Hurry up’ he says, ‘He can use this immediately!’ And in parenthesis he says YSK. What kind of disgrace is this? What kind of fear is this? I am not such a terrible man!”

“You storyteller, fairytale-teller rector”

“Now let me underline that this absurd case is, in the same way shameful, an attempt to deceive by the hand of prosecution. This malicious attempt which violates the right to a fair trial completely, at the same time by presenting the subjects by completely distorting for the case to be opened, even to be able to continue, is an attempt aimed at deceiving not only the society, but the supreme Turkish judiciary and the office of judge too, that is deceiving you. This case is tried to be politicized not only over judicial organs, but unfortunately over some academic institutions too. In this process risking going out of law, making deception attempts and being accomplice to unlawful methods, is an accomplice. I want to touch upon Istanbul University Rectorate and the rector too. This poor rector goes out and makes statements to the partisan media. Poor thing. The poor rector explains that they investigated about 230 people who made transfer in the years I also did transfer. Poor thing. You storyteller, fairytale-teller rector. The rector could not take a photographer into his room out of fear when I visited him.

Poor rector. Storyteller, fairytale-teller rector. The rector who told me he was in a difficult situation with his low, thin, poor voice when I called a few days before the cancellation decision.

While there is no crime imputation that will concern a single one of the youth who made transfer, the rector who decides with the instruction of the government as if I am guilty;

I condemn you. I will not talk about how you were expressing your difficult situation to me with that weak voice and what you said to me on the phone.

From here, I call out to the rector who tries to clear himself in partisan newspapers: If a university makes its own students, its own graduates material for political operations, it is no longer an educational institution, it is the propaganda apparatus of the government.”

“I greet Boğaziçi University's rectors and students from here too”

“The office of rectorate cannot be managed with fear. A scientist does not speak with pressure. Being a scientist requires another morality, another virtue. A state university cannot act with instruction. I refer to this attitude to all academicians of Türkiye's most ancient university, to you and those like you who studied at that university and to the students studying. Let all our youth prepare for university in Türkiye, our university students and our academicians not worry. In the nation's government, the university will be managed not with trustees, with those who act with order, but with elected rectors. The academy will be the home of science and free thought, not political disgraces. Distortion and fabrication, these works are constructed in this way. I greet Boğaziçi University's rectors and students from here too, who have been putting forward their noble struggles for years so that their schools are managed with science, in a virtuous way.”

“The prosecution attempted to deceive the office of judge”

“I will give very important examples from the deception attempts of the prosecution which counts putting distorted, fabricated and unproven, only adverse documents into the file as a skill, Mr. Judge. In the fifth paragraph of the 18th page of the indictment, YÖK Presidency's -look at the deception very clear- YÖK Presidency's June 29, 1988… A moment ago you said ‘it accepted equivalence after 93’. There is no such thing. There is no document before 93 either. I mean it writes a document only after 91. There is no document before that. I mean Istanbul University Faculty of Business Administration, there is no document regarding Girne UNCN. But it makes such a distortion: ‘Based on YÖK Presidency's letter dated 29.06.1988 and numbered 1830, it is understood that only Eastern Mediterranean University is recognized by YÖK among the higher education institutions operating in TRNC… Look, look at the word! This is the letter. YÖK writes to the Istanbul Technical University Rectorate. Let me say why the letter was written here too. The letter is being written for this. Because only Eastern Mediterranean University is asked.

In response, this is written: ‘Eastern Mediterranean University in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is a higher education institution being recognized by our council.’ Full stop.

There is nothing else here. Neither is there ‘only’. Nor is there another educational institution. Look in this letter there is no ‘only’!

How can a prosecutor do this? How can a prosecutor do this? How does he turn this into an adverse document?

The question asked to YÖK is Eastern Mediterranean University, and the answer given by YÖK is, ‘Eastern Mediterranean University is a higher education institution being recognized by our council.

Full stop. We request for your information.’ That much! From here the prosecutor, he took instruction or will be promoted or is on duty or added ‘only’ there!

That is why he is really in a deception attempt in a bad way. This is an attempt to deceive the supreme Turkish judiciary, our nation and the office of judge.

The prosecution attempted to deceive the office of judge.”

“They are running at full gallop. They will cancel Ekrem”

“Again Özalp Tozan… Our general secretary at UNCN in that period. This is also very coincidental! One day before the cancellation of the diploma, running running… Look; the diploma is cancelled on March 18, on March 17 the gendarmerie takes the man from his house in the morning running running and takes him to give a statement in Ankara. One day before. And the man says in his statement, ‘Southeastern University was an international university. Girne American University was established as affiliated under the umbrella of the university in America. In the period I took duty, a graduation diploma printed by Girne American University itself is not in question…’ I already wrote this in my application document. ‘The diploma of our first graduates is the diploma given by Southeastern University Rectorate coming from America.’ I showed you an example a moment ago of a friend of mine who received an equivalence document later. ‘Our equivalence comes from the equivalence of the university in America’ statement exists in you. Very interesting. They run one day before; they run at full gallop. They will cancel Ekrem.

Because one person gave instructions. I already showed you these one by one in the promotion brochure.

A moment ago I showed you my friend Kaan’s diploma here too. Here is his diploma he received from Southeastern University in year 91.

Again the equivalence document of this diploma he received in year 95. He didn't say anything else anyway!”

“Storyteller, fairytale-teller prosecutor”

“What does this require? Ha it requires this: Then what does the prosecution write in the fifth paragraph of its 19th page on this subject? Listen here Mr. Judge. ‘In the statement taken of Özalp Tozan whom the suspect Ekrem İmamoğlu showed as reference, that it was not a university in the full sense…’ Look at the prosecutor, he writes a story! ‘That it was not a university in the full sense, that it was in the quality of a company…’ The story continues. Storyteller, fairytale-teller, prosecutor. ‘That it did not have equivalence in Türkiye and this was known…’ He continues the story and the fairytale. Can you look at the evaluation? Can there be such a thing? Look, none of these by the way has anything to do with my forgery in documents, with this, with that either. I only explain how the prosecution office committed forgery. I explain how the prosecution office committed forgery, and set up a plot. Has absolutely no relation with my documents what he said? He never touches upon the concept of diploma and equivalence. He never touches upon Southeastern University. He doesn't talk about this. This school is one of the first universities of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, established with the support of the late Rauf Denktaş, with the decision of the Council of Ministers.

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is my honor, isn't it yours Mr. Judge. It is so isn't it? Thank you. 

He continues the deception attempt. Why? Because he took instruction.”

“He speaks lies!”

“In the first paragraph of the last 19th page of the indictment, there is again a very critical crookedness and deception. The prosecution, with a general sentence, expresses this as if it is a word related to me: ‘Again contrary to the regulation, that in the university he was in, he was unsuccessful in his transcripts and the credits taken were missing…’ I mean he implies to me. But he speaks vaguely. ‘That it was understood that no language level determination exam or proficiency exam was made for the students accepted to foreign lateral transfer applications in English business program…’ He speaks lies! My transcript. My transcript I gave to the school. Mashallah my lessons are quite good. Quite good. Not four out of four. Neither is there a course I failed, nor is there a course I was unsuccessful at. My grade point average…

“The prosecution office continues distortion and deception”

Judge: It was 2.50 probably.

“Okay. I mean above sufficiency. I am telling you what the prosecutor wrote, the prosecutor's deception. I understand; maybe you are protecting your prosecutor friend, but don't protect. He is not someone to be protected. Here it is. My transcript is here. Intact. Furthermore, he says ‘He did not take the language level exam’. Thank God we kept our document. ‘Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, your lateral transfer request to our faculty was met positively by the lateral transfer commission and our administrative board, however in order for you to be able to register in English, you need to participate in the English level determination exam and interview to be held on September 27, 1990 at 10.00 hours.’ We went, we participated in this. That is why we were taken to the English department, I showed you my acceptance document a moment ago. It is a shame. Can you look at the “big” prosecutor? I mean I was called personally, I participated, according to this I was accepted to the school with the approval letter of the deanery. I showed the acceptance document to you a moment ago. The prosecution office continues distortion and deception. He performs a transaction in a deliberate way.

I accuse the prosecution. I will seek my right. The transcript is real, my grades are successful, my exam entrance document is in the middle, my school transfer approval is in the middle. It is a shame, it is a pity.

It is a betrayal to the Turkish judiciary. Such prosecution, such prosecution office does not happen, cannot happen, should not happen. I wish he was here himself so I could say these to him.

I express like this so Mr. Prosecutor does not get offended. Another deception attempt is ‘Eastern Mediterranean University’ being written in the logbook to Istanbul University Faculty of Business Administration.

Here I showed a moment ago; he does something like he made such an expression in the book written about me 30 years later.

A moment ago I read the section in the book to you. I mean I had shown in the first hearing too that really such a betting is not in question in the mentioned book.

This distortion and deception attempt is very grave. What was written in the logbook? This is not my business. Let him go ask the officer there.

It has no relation to me. I mean here there are valuable officer friends serving your court.

I mean now I will pass there, I will write what I spoke here and there instead of officer friends, I am being put into the position of Mr. Judge.”

“Your predecessor Mr. Judge Ali Doğan did not remain indifferent to the audacity to intervene in such a wrong job, file”

“Lastly; on 19.09.25, with the bet that there is an academician with the title of ‘doctor’, whose name I will not give, a person with a controversial past publishes writings badmouthing, humiliating the school in Cyprus. And the prosecutor takes this hastily and puts it into the file on September 29. He found something, he found someone writing bad. And he puts this. He has Allah, the outgoing Mr. Judge filed a criminal complaint about this by the way. Thank you. Really, why did you file a criminal complaint? I think he is right. Let me express. Look, listen here carefully Mr. Judge. He says this person with the ‘doctor’ title… We determined other things about him too but dealing with the person is not my job. If I say this, what will happen to me? ‘Türkiye is an undeveloped, savage Middle East country which has been in sleep consisting of science and technology for 350 years.’ The same person writes like this. If I say this you know, probably you would judge me with 9 years prison right now. If I fell to that prosecutor. Because I have such cases. I am in such a case here too.

Here is this individual; it is the proof of how eager the prosecution is for distortion and deception, in a procedure where it is not possible for a person who is not an expert, specialist or party to the case to submit a declaration.

I am really very sorry on behalf of the supreme Turkish judiciary. But as I said, your predecessor Mr. Judge Ali Doğan did not remain indifferent to the audacity to intervene in such a wrong job, file, and by determining that the sent petition was an ‘unnecessary document’, he decided to file a criminal complaint about the owner of the document too.

I thank him in his absence for defending his file and leaving a spotless file to you. May Allah protect him, may his way be open.

Let me express that clearly.”

“Let these mean something for you Mr. Judge”

Judge: One of the evidences in the indictment is İBB, on this internet site, it said that you made a lateral transfer to Eastern Mediterranean University…

“A smart aleck wrote. I learned in the prosecutor interrogation. The prosecutor wrote too. But this cannot be the forgery of a 19-year-old job Mr. Judge. Do you think it can? I ask very clearly. 25 years later someone wrote something on the internet by mistake… I submitted so many documents, is this worthless, is that valuable for example in your opinion? Is it a very valuable document? My poverty interested you one; and this topic on this internet site interested you. I had troubles in that period. I was 19 years old. I had troubles, I wanted to come to Istanbul. Is it sufficient for you? Thank you. You know; every subject, every question, every decision follows everyone. Mr. Judge, the issue we talk about here today is not only diploma.

It is an exemplary table of which methods are resorted to in order to eliminate a politician in Türkiye? I want you to perceive and feel. I wish. I pray. On behalf of the supreme Turkish judiciary. On your behalf. I pray on behalf of all judges of the country. One day before I was taken into custody, my diploma was cancelled. One day before. On the 23rd there was a primary election.

4 days ago, 5 days ago. Let these mean something for you Mr. Judge.”

“It is a plainly planned operation”

“Look I say again: A time interval as short as taking a breath, this is not a coincidence, it is not a mistake, it is not an error. It is a plainly planned operation. A planned operation. That is why I ask: What haste is this? One day before diploma, one day later with hundreds of cars, hundreds of police, close the whole city. Thousands of police on duty. Conquer Istanbul, make operation. What ambition is this? What fear is this? Whom did you fear? What motivation is this? Which legal process breaks such a speed record in this country? Where has such a speed record been seen? Let these mean something for you Mr. Judge. It should, you must think. Only then can you put your head on the pillow comfortably. Let me say that. For whom? For what? Which transaction? By cancelling whose diploma, grounds for detention are prepared two days later? One day later! These are planned works. Planned operation. Who is on the other end of the phone? Which state seriousness signs such a comedy? Did you say to the President, ‘Sir don’t worry, we will cancel the diploma too’?

Did you say ‘We do every job’? Or did you receive such an instruction from that person?

The will that cancels a human’s diploma first and takes him into custody one day later is not after law.

The will that does this one day before and makes operation one day later is after revenge. It is after fear.

It is after a political character assassination.”

“The plots you signed at midnight come buzzing to me (vız gelir tırıs gider)”

“The will that signs this timing works not for law, but for their own ambitions. This speed is not to solve a case, but to collapse a human, a political figure, a hope, a will. But let them know; these do not block my way, do not intimidate me, do not scare me. The decisions you took with haste, the scenarios you wrote with ambition, the plots you signed at midnight don’t impress me. Because this nation sees very clearly now Mr. Judge. What walks here is not law. All transactions made are a disgrace. It is a political instruction series blinded by ambition. That is why I am standing tall here. Frankly, every step, every decision and every operation written and done hastily is the document of their own collapse. That is why I ask my question and ask insistently. What ambition? What fear? What haste? Of course I know the answer to this too, the nation knows too. History will write the answer to this too. I say: That seat you don't want to leave, don't want to get up from is not yours, it is the nation's seat. The nation puts whom it wants there, removes the person it wants from there when it wants.

This is very clear. This history wrote this repeatedly. This country wrote repeatedly.”

“They are in such a state with eyes turned”

“Now while the accuracy of all these documents is openly in the middle, the bill of a process, a political operation involving so many people and ancient institutions is being tried to be cut to a 19-year-old lad, a youth from Trabzon. And time travel is being done, it rewinds 35 years and you know Ekrem İmamoğlu is such a thing that; at the same time in Istanbul, at the same time in Girne, at the same time in YÖK, he arranged all institutions, planned all works and transactions, designed, he is described in a state. This is a result brought by the severity of the instruction, the intervention of politics in judiciary, the arrogance forgetting the superiority of national will, the seat ambition. It is shameful. They are in such a state with eyes turned that they risk not recognizing even the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. They think ‘How can we cancel the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’. If they could, they would not refrain from being disrespectful to the late founder Rauf Denktaş, to the Council of Ministers decision of that day too. Shame on you. I greet Cyprus on this occasion nevertheless. I wish success to the newly elected President Mr. Tufan Erhürman.

I convey my feelings of gratitude to my Cypriot friends, to the two years I spent there, in that beautiful heaven-like corner of the homeland, and to everyone who contributed.

I greet from here so they give their blessings (hakkını helal etsinler).”

“Times when nothing is real, everything is possible”

“There is a beautiful saying: ‘Nothing is real, everything is possible.’ We are living exactly such a thing actually. I mean if we tell this even in the most authoritarian states, they really laugh. They laugh saying ‘How did they do such a thing’. It is also a very interesting situation that the mentality and regime at the head of the country enjoys these and similar cases, interventions in judiciary. This situation of the mentality at the head of the country is really a situation that will not fit into policy boundaries, will not be explained. It is a pathological situation that needs to be evaluated seriously psychologically, whose damage to the institutions of the state needs to be investigated. For that reason, I remind all our country from here again that the struggle is very big, really an environment where we are fully subjected to the violation of the presumption of innocence, violation of the confidentiality principle, violation of fair trial, violation of all principles like trial without arrest and laws being applied equally to everyone, violation of rule of law is experienced.”

“The mind that seizes my diploma today, will collapse on your diploma, your property, your estate, your company tomorrow”

“I continue to warn from here. I make an announcement to people who see life in its normal flow in this insatiable current system: Let no one say ‘Nothing happens to me’. I warn people who say ‘Nothing happens to me’ again. It distinguishes neither the opponent and the one thinking differently, nor the one close, nor the partisan. This is a monstrous order. You only wait for your turn in a system flow that has set its mind to swallow and has become monstrous. And when its teeth pass into your body, you wake up but it becomes too late. I call out to my people of the country from every segment. From every political view; ruling party or partner does not matter. Businessman, club president, referee, this, that does not matter. ‘I willingly go see him. Sometimes we go sit, drink coffee’ etc. does not matter. 

You are under danger. I warn. Stick your head in the sand as much as you want, you are in the open with your everything. You are not safe and you are under danger. I warn. The mind that seizes my diploma today, will collapse on your diploma, your property, your estate, your company tomorrow.

It does this. We are living these right now. It is being done anyway. This is the meaning of trying to collapse the building of the 102-year-old party too.”

“Those who think we talk only a diploma case today, are mistaken”

“Did the President not throw Hüseyin Kocabıyık into prison, who was by his side in his most difficult moments, only two days after saying ‘Even if my friends I do politics with are not with me today, they are my fellow travelers, my companions’? Is he not in prison right now over fabricated sentences? Is he not being tried with years? Know no boundaries. The point it came up to is this. Those who think we talk only a diploma case today, are mistaken. We talk about how justice is destroyed step by step in Türkiye. Looking at what is experienced today in this country, there are questions a human must ask as a human. Do you still think this country is a state of law? Or have we returned to a regime that has law on paper but has no law in practice? We have to ask these questions.

Those who say ‘I believe in law in this country. We are a state of law’ have fallen below 20 percent. This is bitter, this is grave. Commerce does not happen, abundance does not happen, business world does not happen, capital does not come from abroad and make investment. The poor becomes poorer. Minimum wage crawls on the ground. People cannot make ends meet.

65-70 percent of those working in this country receive minimum wage. This is the reason.

Türkiye's highest judicial authority the Constitutional Court says ‘This decision will be applied’, however the decision is not applied.

Where in the world has it been seen that a state runs away from applying its own constitution? Where has this been seen? There is a Constitution in this country anymore but it is not applied.

This sentence is the death notice of the state of law alone. If you look at this case without thinking these, you are mistaken.”

“If judges fall silent in a country…”

“European Court of Human Rights says ‘He must be released’. But the government does not take even one step. I mean Türkiye denies its own signature in front of the whole world. Judiciary is independent! We face officials who say ‘judiciary is independent’ even if a microphone is extended, and say ‘judiciary is independent’ while going even if not extended. Shameful. Shameful. All Türkiye asked these questions in this environment. Asked the question ‘What kind of state administration is this?’. If a state ignores its own signature, how should the citizen of this state, this country trust the law? People above 80 percent say, ‘I do not trust the law.’ What can be more grave than this? That, politics, power, government; pass these works. We are inside a period where innocent people are held captive in prisons for years in this country today. Hundreds of people were held captive in plot cases. In political cases thousands of people lost their freedom for years. Journalists, academicians, politicians, teachers, youth, each one was kept inside for years. We all witnessed.

Things put in the case file as ‘evidence’ were at a level to make every person with conscience blush.

If judges fall silent in a country where Constitutional Court decisions are not applied, if courts do not make a sound in a country where ECtHR decisions are ignored, if judiciary turns its head while innocent people wear out in prison, what happens?

This does not become only the collapse of law. This means the collapse of a state, as a requirement of the word justice is the foundation of the property, justice is the foundation of the state.”

“Fenerbahçe fans, Galatasaray fans, Beşiktaş fans, Trabzon fans; I warn you. Your clubs go from hand too”

“I repeat: Not only in this case, we encountered a systematic table in every case bearing my name. Today I have to reveal not only myself but that table and the mentality that wants to create that table here. Because the nation must know this. History must write this. I explained a little ago: In the fool case, in the March 19 process and other cases, recently in all criminal cases where my name passes, not a joke real, committees changed, judges changed; they continue to change… In short, they change the referee at halftime. Only the VAR room remained. That place is also in their hands anyway. Fener fans, Galatasaray fans, Beşiktaş fans, Trabzon fans; I warn you. Your clubs go from hand too. You interfered in footballer transfer for years. I did club management at age 30. You interfered even while sending the equipment manager there. You decided on the technical director. You decided on club presidents. You decided on Football Federation presidents too. What was it? They were collapsing the betting gang! Yahu every day thousands of gang organization members are arrested, operations are made.

You would think that CHP was in power until yesterday and some became power, they are doing cleaning. Who made this filth?

We are ashamed to see these in the subtitle every day. That is why I repeat the word at the very beginning: They brought our country to a state where nothing is real, everything is possible.”

“The driver at the steering wheel of the country's vehicle is tired now”

“Look; I call out to our 86 million people. Please listen to me not with your ear, but as Yunus said, with your beautiful heart. The driver at the steering wheel of the country's vehicle is tired now. He has been driving for a long time. Sleepless, tired and lost his attention. At the same time, tense and angry. You say ‘Rest’, he doesn't leave the steering wheel. You say ‘Sleep’, he says ‘The car is mine, I won't leave’. This government and system listens to no one anymore. We say ‘You drive badly, the car is falling apart now. Let’s stop and take a breath. Let everyone relax’, he says ‘No one can get off this car of mine’, he steps on the gas more and more. Now at every curve two wheels go off the road towards the cliff. As you will understand; the driver’s tie with reality is broken. For him there is no such thing as ‘real’. That is why everything is possible. Now duty falls to the passengers of this vehicle. The time to leave the differences, prejudices or indifference between us aside has come and is passing. It is time to stand up completely as a nation. Expect everything from those who can open this absurd case. You will either wait and pray for the turn not to come to you or we will oppose this structure all together without fear.

There is no salvation alone, either all together or none of us. There is no other way for this.”

“This nation wants justice and environment of trust, peace and tranquility”

“Our nation now wants not poverty, but a life that will not make them bow their heads for their future and children. They want to trust justice. They do not want to pull back from the court door. They do not want the police, gendarmerie to knock on their doors in the darkness of the morning. They do not want to be forced to choose their words while talking politics with their spouse at home, with their friend in the neighborhood. Our youth now want quality, free education. Children, youth do not want to fear saying ‘I am being tapped’ even while talking on the phone. Women want to be in safety. They want to live in peace. From business person to entrepreneur, from farmer to tradesman, they want a country where law is superior, environment of trust that raises business volume, production, where there is fair sharing. The list goes long… This nation wants justice and an environment of trust, peace and tranquility. In an environment formed this way, you cannot establish peace. You cannot secure the future of this nation.”

“I scream at the same time from here”

“Let's take Ekrem's diploma, let's throw the one we want into prison… May Allah give mind to those who think, those who give instruction, frankly those who do. Everyone knows that; my diploma is necessary for my presidential candidacy and this is the reason for my diploma being taken from my hand. Full stop. Taking the diploma, the cruelty all detained families suffer and the lies they try to tell all Türkiye have no importance. Let alone taking Ekrem İmamoğlu under lens, they examined with a microscope from the day I was born to today, to the gravestones of my ancestors. History has not seen such a thing. With a microscope. I continue to be examined and picked disrespectfully. But let it be, no problem. But I scream at the same time from here: If you have courage, if you trust yourself, most importantly if you have the heart to protect the nation's trust, if you are sincere, if you really defend the rights of the people and really have respect for the rights of the people - whether CHP or AK Party - let the assets of all central and local administration executives, top bureaucrats of Türkiye, everyone be investigated in the broadest manner.

Let draft laws, proposals be in the Grand National Assembly, from top to toe, let the diploma be investigated, let the assets acquired before politics and after politics be investigated.

From top to toe. Let the white sheep and the black sheep come out. Whoever attempted to own property by using bribery, extortion, public power, influence, let them come before the nation's eyes.

Whose diploma is fake, whose diploma is real, who has a diploma, who does not; let it come out.”

“I say I dare you from here”

“If you have the will to do this cleaning, this duty to the nation, get this out of the Parliament in one day, show your sincerity to this nation. Let the Parliament set up a commission, let's judge together, let's be judged. Let's get some good out of these plots, out of this calamity that touches the nation's conscience. Give the instruction; let MASAK, BDDK look at all politicians, up to their third-degree relatives. Let's take an X-ray, are you ready to fix this politics that has become sick together? I say I dare you from here. Let's pass through the nation's sieve and appear before the nation. You cannot stain me by leaning on the podium, speaking into the microphone, performing an extrajudicial execution saying ‘extortion, crime, whatever’. To those words you say, I only do this, like this. (He shook the sleeves of his jacket with his hand.) That much. Each of those immoral and truly bad words belongs to its owner. Belongs to the speaker. Neither the diploma case nor other cases, we hold tight to divine justice and the nation's conscience. Yes, I am angry. Yes, I will not refrain from defending my right.

But I feel sorry for what is done to the supreme Turkish judiciary too. You, Mr. Judge, although I submitted my declarations against this indictment before, due to the principle of face-to-face, I had the obligation to present to you here what I determined recently and the elements I need to remind again.

I thank you for showing sensitivity and opportunity at the highest level for this.”

“Let the prosecutor enter there too, cancel my military service too?”

(Upon the hearing judge making reference again to the book where İmamoğlu’s life story is told and the resume writing on the İBB site, he took the floor again.)

“This is completely a fabrication I mean. As I said a moment ago, the prosecutor’s deception attempt. Reading intention, something like saying ‘I was guessing’. How can this be Mr. Judge? ‘That he knew’ he says look. And I say to you, there is one document here, the advertisement of the huge Istanbul University. And I went and applied to the advertisement. How do I know for example? The year before me, dozens of people made transfer. I mean what can you say to the mind that asks this prosecutor to the 19-year-old human? The diploma he calls ‘received document’. I didn't use it for the Supreme Election Council. You give to the Supreme Election Council only for the sake of it. Because I became district mayor and metropolitan mayor. Higher education diploma is not required there too Mr. Judge. I gave my document to the military branch too. If I don't have a high school diploma what will you give Mr. Judge. Cancel that too. I mean cancel my military service too. Let the prosecutor enter there too, cancel my military service too. They cannot find my birth certificate either. Maybe they can cancel that too. Thank God my mother and father are here. Once I was saying to my father as a child, ‘I remember your wedding.’ And he was saying, ‘You cannot remember our wedding son.’ I didn't understand why he said that then.”

“For example I follow with regret that you do not show interest in why the judge was exiled this much”

(The judge, entering the ‘poverty’ subject again, asked whether the relevant writing belongs to İmamoğlu himself.)

“Of course my writing. Do you not like my being poor? I mean I was rich and did a poverty period in between go to your liking, I didn't understand? What relation does it have with forgery, I am trying to understand that Mr. Judge. What relation does it have with document forgery? Explain that, I will answer you. Ya now what is its relation with forgery like this? Say it I will answer. I ask a question openly: What is the relation of my being poor or being rich with forgery? After that I will answer you.

Judge: I mean were you rich then?

“Thanks to Allah, it was good but we were having money, cash problem then. We couldn't sell goods. There was Gulf crisis, there was economic crisis. My father was in Istanbul. I wanted to pass. How much you wondered about my poverty yahu? We knew there was no transfer. But when people before us passed, we learned, there was transfer. But I couldn't solve the poverty I mean. are you poor for example? It is a subjective question so I ask. Now there is human he has billions, he is not rich; there is human, he has thousand liras, he is rich I mean. My heart is very rich too. I mean I really wondered your inclination to this poverty issue this much. I am trying to understand its contribution to forgery. You don't ask the document. You got stuck on my economic situation not being good inside the document. Economic situation has no plus or minus contribution regarding the transfer here. It came to my mind while filling and I wrote I mean. But let it pass to the record. As the judge I wondered your interest in this poverty and poorness, richness concept this much… For example I follow with regret that you do not show interest in why the judge was exiled this much.

I wish you said a word to that too, said a couple of words. May Allah protect you too in this duty of yours by the way.

May Allah protect you in this office too. May He protect us all of course.”

“In a political case I am in the victim role here”

(When the Judge made reference to YÖK decision…)

“I said there is none before the period I made transfer. That is in 91. There is none before I made transfer. Is it valid when it happens later Mr. Judge? Let me ask legally. I want to learn I mean. When it happens in 91, does it bind 90 legally? Does a decision in 91 have a chance to bind 90 in law? I am not a jurist. I really wonder. Answer this too. I mean I say something like this to you: ‘Is this white Mr. Judge’ like something. Does a decision taken in 91 bind the decision in 90 or does it not?”

Judge: Now since you are in the defendant role…

“I am not in the defendant role. I am not a defendant either. I do not accept myself so. I am currently in the victim role here in a political case, I mean if it is role the name.”

“You are not ‘role’ either, you are in the office of judgeship”

Judge: Now since we are in the judgeship role too…

“You are not ‘role’ either, you are in the office of judgeship.”

Judge: Since we are in the judgeship role, we ask the questions, and you answer.

We will make a decision as a conscientious decision.

“And I desire that you do not get wounded. I wish you gave a clear answer in the subjects where law defines clearly as action, in some subjects where you leave me under accusation in the questions you ask. For example; a decision in 91… Or let's look like this for example. Today we took a decision. Did it affect something 5 years ago? The Constitution makes a decision, does it affect a subject 5 years ago for example?”

“I have a lot of unnecessary cases”

İmamoğlu, taking the floor again after lawyer defenses, said the following:

"There is no situation as grave as sustaining this case here. You must decide here and the very clear demand of this decision is this: 'Türkiye surrendered law to politics' or 'Judges dared to defend law in Türkiye.'

Very clear. In this context, making a decision here really saves you and the supreme Turkish judiciary from burden. Look, I have a lot of unnecessary cases: There is 'ugly' case in January; there is 'fool' case in the Supreme Court of Appeals. Sir let me tell you, there is 'corruption and terror' case where we are going to be judged of İBB. There is 'spy' case. Look, all are absurd but this is the most absurd by far. The stain this created; I say to the prosecution, the stain they created with cooperation, makes these stained too, makes them more stained. Let me say this really clearly. An acquittal decision must be given here. This case must end as soon as possible. The Supreme Turkish judiciary must relax; it is a shame, it is a pity and it is sinful."