Medine Mamedoğlu 

 

DİYARBAKIR - A lawsuit has been opened against Gültan Kışanak, former mayor of the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality, for transferring money to Sarmaşık Association. Transferring money to the association is considered as “misconduct in office” and “multiple crimes”.

 

In September, 2016, an inspector was sent to Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality after the Ministry of Interior filed a criminal complaint against the co-mayors of the municipality. After six years, a lawsuit has been opened against former Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-mayors Gültan Kışanak, who has been behind bars, and Fırat Anlı, deputy mayors Hafize İpek and Fahrettin Çağdaş on charges of “Misconduct in office”. Transferring money to the Sarmaşık (English: Ivy) Association, a non-government organization conducting research on poverty, is considered as a crime in the indictment.

 

According to the indictment sent to Diyarbakır Criminal Court of First Instance, the deduction of 15 Turkish Liras from the salaries of the municipal employees for the Sarmaşık Association with a joint decision made by the co-mayors and labor unions written in the collective bargaining agreements was the subject of the investigation. The report of the inspector is also included in the indictment. After the Council of State allowed an investigation to be launched into the allegations, an indictment was prepared against four people for transferring money to the association from 2012 to 2015.

 

“As part of the collective bargaining agreement signed by the Public Services Employees Union of Turkey (Genel-İş) and the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality for the period of 01.03.2014 and 28.02.2015, some amount of the wages of employees were transferred to Sarmaşık Association and the Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club. The decision victimized the employees,” the indictment read.

 

Former Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-mayors Gültan Kışanak, who has been behind bars, and Fırat Anlı, deputy mayors Hafize İpek and Fahrettin Çağdaş will stand trial on charges of “misconduct in office and “Committing multiple crimes” for transferring money to the Sarmaşık Association.