ANKARA — Former Mayor of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB), İbrahim Melih Gökçek, has issued a public statement following the conclusion of a legal process regarding the municipal residence he has been living in.
According to Gökçek, the case stems from Law No. 7061, which allowed residents of public and municipal housing to purchase the properties they were living in. Gökçek stated that he applied to purchase his official residence in line with this law and that his wife legally bought the property from the municipality.
However, a recent ruling by Turkey’s Court of Cassation (Yargıtay) overturned the sale, citing Gökçek’s own signature on the document that initiated the sale process in 2017 as a conflict of interest. The court determined that, despite not having made the final decision, his involvement as a signatory rendered the sale invalid.
Gökçek emphasized that the final decision to sell the property was made by then-Mayor Mustafa Tuna and that the purchase was conducted legally, at a price approximately 10% above the official market value at the time.
"As a result of the court’s decision, the municipality will refund the purchase amount, and I will vacate the property," Gökçek stated.
Despite the unfavorable outcome, Gökçek expressed his continued trust in the judicial system. “Even when verdicts go against us, it is our duty to respect the rule of law,” he said. “My stance is clear: always the law, always justice.”
He also called on other political parties to show similar respect for judicial decisions, especially when rulings are not in their favor.
Addressing frequent claims that he is not being prosecuted, Gökçek stated that such narratives are misleading and politically motivated. “This process once again proves how groundless and deceptive such claims are. Exploiting the justice system for political gain does not serve the truth or the public,” he concluded.
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