Turkish court allows CHP to rehang banner about missing $128 bln

A court in western Edirne ruled to allow the main opposition CHP to rehang their banner about the missing $128 billion from state funds, which was taken down by law enforcement as part of the government's effort to divert attention from the issue.

Monday May 24 2021 12:59 pm

Tamer Yavuz / DUVAR

A Turkish court in western Edirne ruled in favor of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) to rehang their banner about the missing $128 billion in state funds, taken down by law enforcement in April.

The main opposition launched an awareness campaign about the $128 billion that went missing from the Central Bank's FX reserves under the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) under the question "Where are the $128 billion?"

Law enforcement organized midnight operations to CHP offices across Turkey in April, taking down the main opposition's banners, posters and billboards about the missing funds.

A court in western Edirne ruled more than a month later in May that law enforcement's confiscation of the CHP's banner was illegal, and allowed for it to be put back up.

CHP Edirne chairman Fevzi Pekcanlı said that the court's ruling against the ruling AKP's wishes was a first in the cases for the banners in Turkey, adding that the CHP will put up all media about the missing funds.

The AKP went as far as producing a cartoon video to slam the CHP's efforts to raise awareness about the missing funds, where the opposition was depicted working a "lie production machine."