{"id":19343,"date":"2025-03-19T13:30:37","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T10:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/penna.cydialogue.org\/?p=19343"},"modified":"2025-03-20T15:09:37","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T12:09:37","slug":"the-trend-of-the-recent-times-defence-with-flags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/penna.cydialogue.org\/the-trend-of-the-recent-times-defence-with-flags\/","title":{"rendered":"THE TREND OF THE RECENT TIMES:\u00a0\u2018DEFENCE WITH FLAGS\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
When people defend themselves with the use of \u2018flags<\/strong>\u2019, even though the issue may have nothing to do with a \u2018national<\/strong>\u2019 incident, and especially when it is related to accusations of \u2018corruption, dirty money, money laundering<\/strong>\u2019, it is necessary to take a closer look at that case.<\/p>\n The way in which \u2018flags<\/strong>\u2019 can be tackled will vary from one person to another depending on its meaning and what it represents. However, in the recent period, in\u00a0Turkey<\/strong>, where there are many civilians, bureaucrats and politicians who are accused of \u2018theft, corruption, bribery\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0dirty money<\/strong>\u2019 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 \u2018How could I ever commit any of these crimes?<\/strong>\u2019 by appearing nationalist and patriotic.<\/p>\n So now, this trend has spread to the northern part of\u00a0Cyprus<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Whoever was accused of similar crimes took a step further and appeared before the cameras by placing the\u00a0Turkish<\/strong>\u00a0flag next to the\u00a0TRNC<\/strong>\u00a0flag.<\/p>\n \u2018Defense with flags<\/strong>\u2019 has become a new addition to \u2018flag politics<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>\n We had seen the last example of this in the so-called defense of\u00a0Lapithos-Karavas-Myrtou Municipality<\/strong>, who wanted to give away some of the most beautiful seafront lands of\u00a0Kyrenia <\/strong>to a\u00a0Turkish<\/strong>\u00a0capital 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\u00a0the Green Peace Movement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n During the hearing on 19.2.2025, in front of the Law Courts!<\/p>\n Mayor\u00a0F\u0131rat Ataser<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n We saw a more recent example of this trend in the press statement of\u00a0Hakan <\/strong>and Ebru T\u00f6rehan<\/strong>. The table was decorated with TC-TRNC flags. So, what is the relevance? Let’s have a look..<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n What is\u00a0Hakan T\u00f6rehan<\/strong>, the ousted president of\u00a0Kythrea Sports Club<\/strong>, accused of?<\/p>\n Bingo! \u2018Match-fixing<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0dirty money<\/strong>\u2019<\/p>\n So, where was he before arriving at this press conference?<\/p>\n At the Assize\u00a0Court\u00a0of\u00a0Kyrenia<\/strong>, where he was tried together with two others on the charges of \u2018Laundering the Proceeds of a Crime<\/strong>\u2019, \u2018Gambling via Electronic Media<\/strong>\u2019, \u2018Allowing Gambling via Electronic Media<\/strong>\u2019 and \u2018Online Gambling<\/strong>\u2019…<\/p>\n The photo above was taken at the\u00a0Assize\u00a0Court\u00a0of\u00a0Kyrenia,<\/strong> and T\u00f6rehan went on to hold a press conference.<\/p>\n During the press conference, Hakan T\u00f6rehan<\/strong>\u00a0reacted to the suspension of his sports club’s membership to\u00a0the Turkish Cypriot Football Federation<\/strong>\u00a0(KTFF<\/strong>) and his referral to the disciplinary board, and argued that the decisions were based on false grounds.<\/p>\n Accompanied by Turkish and TRNC flags!<\/p>\n What’s the relevance, right?<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Of course, you must be remembering that the T\u00f6rehan couple were previously tried for similar offences and Hakan T\u00f6rehan\u00a0was convicted<\/strong>.<\/p>\n 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 T\u00f6rehan, to Hakan T\u00f6rehan, 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.<\/p>\n Hakan T\u00f6rehan, thus, became the new President.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Meanwhile, there is no result of the case against Ebru T\u00f6rehan!<\/p>\n As we were wondering whether she was acquitted, or convicted, a little bird told us that \u2018the case was withdrawn by the Prosecutor’s Office<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>\n On what grounds?<\/p>\n While there are already terrible allegations made against the prosecutor’s office recently, was his wife Ebru T\u00f6rehan acquitted of the same charges that Hakan T\u00f6rehan was convicted of?<\/p>\n In addition, another claim is that\u00a0Ebru T\u00f6rehan <\/strong>was also a\u00a0suspect<\/strong>\u00a0in the case at\u00a0the Assize\u00a0Court\u00a0of\u00a0Kyrenia<\/strong> where Hakan T\u00f6rehan <\/strong>was tried together with two others but she was removed from that file as well.<\/p>\n The prosecutor’s office should immediately clarify these issues!<\/p>\n Because the question all of this raises is, \u2018Has an obstacle been removed from Ebru T\u00f6rehan’s candidacy for the Mayorship of Kythrea Municipality?\u2019.<\/p>\n We will continue to follow the T\u00f6rehan couple and the judicial processes they are involved in.<\/p>\n Because this space cannot tolerate \u2018defences with flags<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>\n [Photo insert: photo mentioned in the article involves images of Hakan T\u00f6rehan and two other suspects of the same crime at the exit of the Assize Court of Kyrenia <\/em>]<\/p>\n This article was first published on 02.03.2025<\/em><\/p>\n Source: THE TREND OF THE RECENT TIMES:\u00a0\u2018DEFENCE WITH FLAGS\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n \n