By This post is also available in: ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ (GREEK) TÜRKÇE (TURKISH)
When people defend themselves with the use of ‘flags’, even though the issue may have nothing to do with a ‘national’ incident, and especially when it is related to accusations of ‘corruption, dirty money, money laundering’, it is necessary to take a closer look at that case.
The way in which ‘flags’ can be tackled will vary from one person to another depending on its meaning and what it represents. However, in the recent period, in Turkey, where there are many civilians, bureaucrats and politicians who are accused of ‘theft, corruption, bribery and dirty money’ and who are under investigation, making a defense on television screens with Turkish flags in the background has become a highly popular act to influence the sentiments of citizens, and to evoke the question of ‘How could I ever commit any of these crimes?’ by appearing nationalist and patriotic.
So now, this trend has spread to the northern part of Cyprus.
Whoever was accused of similar crimes took a step further and appeared before the cameras by placing the Turkish flag next to the TRNC flag.
‘Defense with flags’ has become a new addition to ‘flag politics’.
We had seen the last example of this in the so-called defense of Lapithos-Karavas-Myrtou Municipality, who wanted to give away some of the most beautiful seafront lands of Kyrenia to a Turkish capital group for the construction of a hotel with a casino without a tender, in front of the Law Courts in response to the lawsuit filed by the Green Peace Movement.
During the hearing on 19.2.2025, in front of the Law Courts!
Mayor Fırat Ataser, who gathered hundreds of people in front of the Law Courts with TC-TRNC flags in their hands, could not explain the relevance of the issue with the flags, of course, and frankly, this defense with flags did not gain further popularity.
We saw a more recent example of this trend in the press statement of Hakan and Ebru Törehan. The table was decorated with TC-TRNC flags. So, what is the relevance? Let’s have a look..
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What is Hakan Törehan, the ousted president of Kythrea Sports Club, accused of?
Bingo! ‘Match-fixing and dirty money’
So, where was he before arriving at this press conference?
At the Assize Court of Kyrenia, where he was tried together with two others on the charges of ‘Laundering the Proceeds of a Crime’, ‘Gambling via Electronic Media’, ‘Allowing Gambling via Electronic Media’ and ‘Online Gambling’…
The photo above was taken at the Assize Court of Kyrenia, and Törehan went on to hold a press conference.
During the press conference, Hakan Törehan reacted to the suspension of his sports club’s membership to the Turkish Cypriot Football Federation (KTFF) and his referral to the disciplinary board, and argued that the decisions were based on false grounds.
Accompanied by Turkish and TRNC flags!
What’s the relevance, right?
You know, if it was just the TRNC flag, maybe there could be some room for rationalization, but the Turkish flag cannot be explained in any way.
Of course, you must be remembering that the Törehan couple were previously tried for similar offences and Hakan Törehan was convicted.
In fact, the change in the club’s bylaws, which led to an investigation, was made for this specific reason: When the time had come to changeover the presidency, temporarily held by Ebru Törehan, to Hakan Törehan, the bylaws had posed an obstacle due to his criminal record. Within a day, they amended the bylaws and removed the article that prevented him from becoming the President due to his criminal record.
Hakan Törehan, thus, became the new President.
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Meanwhile, there is no result of the case against Ebru Törehan!
As we were wondering whether she was acquitted, or convicted, a little bird told us that ‘the case was withdrawn by the Prosecutor’s Office’.
On what grounds?
While there are already terrible allegations made against the prosecutor’s office recently, was his wife Ebru Törehan acquitted of the same charges that Hakan Törehan was convicted of?
In addition, another claim is that Ebru Törehan was also a suspect in the case at the Assize Court of Kyrenia where Hakan Törehan was tried together with two others but she was removed from that file as well.
The prosecutor’s office should immediately clarify these issues!
Because the question all of this raises is, ‘Has an obstacle been removed from Ebru Törehan’s candidacy for the Mayorship of Kythrea Municipality?’.
We will continue to follow the Törehan couple and the judicial processes they are involved in.
Because this space cannot tolerate ‘defences with flags’.
[Photo insert: photo mentioned in the article involves images of Hakan Törehan and two other suspects of the same crime at the exit of the Assize Court of Kyrenia ]
This article was first published on 02.03.2025
Source: THE TREND OF THE RECENT TIMES: ‘DEFENCE WITH FLAGS’
