Man detained over fake email to ÖSYM released after interrogation

Ümit Y. was detained in İstanbul on Wednesday and was referred to a court in Ankara early on Thursday. Deputy Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor Şadan Sakınan interrogated him at the courthouse, following which he was released.

The email controversy erupted last week when main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu alleged that a government minister had sent an email to an employee of the ÖSYM requesting a good placement for his niece. It later emerged that the minister in question was Yazıcı, that the ÖSYM employee was ÖSYM President Ali Demir and that there was an email correspondence that took place in October 2010. However, Yazıcı denied the claims, saying the email was sent from a fake account in what he said was a politically motivated plot.

The minister filed a slander suit against Kılıçdaroğlu and an investigation was opened to find the person who had sent the email.