MHP's Yildiz: Arrest is not punishment but a temporary measure
MHP Vice Chairman Feti Yildiz emphasized that pre-trial detention is a temporary measure, not a punishment, and warned that proof without evidence is merely "suspicion and guesswork."
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WISE NEWS PRESS / ANKARA, TURKEY — DEC. 08, 2025
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Vice Chairman Feti Yildiz has issued a strong statement regarding judicial practices, emphasizing that pre-trial detention must be viewed as a temporary measure rather than a form of punishment.
In a post on his social media account X, Yildiz, who is also a lawyer, underscored that reaching the material truth is only possible by adhering to the universal principles of law.
"The only way to reach material truth and justice is to adhere to the universal principles and fundamentals of law. Criminal Procedure rejects reaching the correct result with wrong evidence. Proof without evidence is nothing but suspicion and guesswork, even if it fits the material case," Yildiz stated.
"Detention requires strict conditions"
Highlighting the temporary nature of detention, Yildiz argued that this heavy protective measure restricts personal freedom and security and should only be applied under strict conditions with great care.
"Like all judicial measures, detention is temporary. Detention is not a punishment; it is a temporary tool that ensures the discovery of the material truth, the conduct of the criminal case, or the execution of a possible future sentence," he explained.
Call for humane treatment of sick prisoners
Yildiz also drew attention to the condition of severely ill prisoners, asserting that democratic states governed by the rule of law must be sensitive to this issue.
"Those with fatal diseases cannot be treated under prison conditions. Keeping those with severe illnesses, the disabled, and elderly prisoners in prison constantly cannot be the business of a democratic state of law," Yildiz said.
Concluding his message with a historical reference to Caliph Omar, Yildiz emphasized that justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done.
