Turkey Council of State upholds dismissal of police chief

The Council of State (Danıştay) has upheld the dismissal of a police chief who was found to have facilitated irregularities regarding probation signatures. The case involved the spouse of an organized crime leader, N. K., who failed to report to the police station for required signatures on specific dates but was permitted to sign on different days by the chief.

During the investigation, the police chief claimed that his communications with the crime leader, O. K., were not related to bribery. Instead, he argued that he had merely requested a tire for a police patrol vehicle. However, the court rejected this defense, stating that even if the claim were true, it is illegal to fulfill official vehicle needs through individuals visiting the station for probation. Furthermore, court records and phone tapings indicated that the claim was not credible and that the actual intent behind the requests was different.