[Turkey] Judge is accused of bribery and arranging drug parties

By The Arrested Lawyers Initiative on 20 June 2024

Adana, Turkey – Shocking revelations have emerged from the Adana Courthouse, exposing a pattern of alleged judicial corruption involving Judge Gül A. The investigation began under dramatic circumstances when Gül A. reportedly threatened a man, identified only as Ş.L., to delete videos of their illicit affair, which had started in September 2019. This case has not only thrown a spotlight on personal misconduct but also on a broader systemic corruption within the judiciary.

Corrupt Exchanges and Threats According to reports in Turkish media, the relationship between Judge Gül A. and Ş.L., the administrator of the building where she was a tenant, began with mutual consent but soon entangled into coercive exchanges involving threats of exposure and demands for legal favors. Gül A., facing past accusations of bribery and forgery during her tenure in Edirne, allegedly sought Ş.L.’s help to manipulate legal outcomes and protect her from those accusations.

The turn of events in May, when Ş.L. wanted to end the relationship, led to direct threats against him, involving alarming statements of potential harm if he did not comply with demands to delete the incriminating videos.

Bribery and Manipulation of Justice The investigation has unveiled that Judge Gül A. allegedly accepted a bribe of 500 million Turkish Lira in exchange for acquitting a defendant charged with fuel smuggling in Osmaniye. It was revealed that she had promised the defendant, during court proceedings, that she would secure an acquittal through the influence of Public Prosecutor F.A., who was supposed to advocate for the acquittal in court. Despite this setup, a different prosecutor later sought conviction in the subsequent hearings, leading to a guilty verdict for the defendant.

Drug parties: Other allegations include Judge Gül A.’s unauthorised acquisition and use of drugs from a private hospital and from the court’s drug repository during her on-call duty during the pandemic. She allegedly swapped shifts to facilitate access to drugs seized by the judiciary and held drug parties with other judges and prosecutors. Most alarmingly, it was determined that Judge Gül A., along with a deputy chief public prosecutor, a criminal court judge, and a magistrate from the penal court, consumed alcohol and used methamphetamine, known as metamfetamin, which was taken from the judicial repository during a party at the courthouse.

Systemic Issues Highlighted These allegations against Judge Gül A. reflect a disturbing pattern of behavior that is reportedly not isolated within the Turkish judiciary. This case underscores broader concerns about judicial integrity and accountability in Turkey, where cases of corruption, influence peddling, and misuse of official position for personal gain have been noted with increasing frequency. This pervasive corruption undermines public trust in the legal system and calls for comprehensive reforms to restore integrity and public confidence in the judiciary.

As the investigation into Judge Gül A.’s conduct continues, calls for a rigorous and transparent handling of this case grow louder, highlighting the need for systemic change to address the deeply rooted issues of corruption within Turkey’s judicial framework.