Three people were detained over a fake interview targeting Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in the southern province of Mersin late on April 25, following criminal complaints filed by the Istanbul Municipality and the provincial organization of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Mahmut Dölek, Ömer Tuncel and Emrah Toraman were detained as part of an investigation launched by Mersin Chief Public into the footage of the fake interview.
The fake interview started circulating on social media after İmamoğlu said that he will purchase 100 tons of lemon from producers, who have been suffering amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and that he will distribute the lemon bought to those in need.
In the video, Tuncel, who claims to be a farmer, accuses İmamoğlu of not fulfilling his promise of purchasing 100 tons of lemon and alleges that he bought them from fellow main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) supporters instead.
The video also shows Dölek, who claims to be a local journalist, telling Tuncel what to say, including instructing him to put emphasis on İmamoğlu’s relationship with CHP supporter producers.
Toraman was detained over recording and publishing the video on social media.
Searches were carried out in the houses of all three suspects and their phones were seized for further examinations.
Dölek, in his defense, said that they shot the footage “for fun.”
“It somehow was leaked on social media,” he said.