29.01.2026 20:34
Aydın Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu filed a criminal complaint with the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office due to the statements made about her by CHP Chairman Özgür Özel.
Aydın Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu filed a criminal complaint against CHP Chairman Özgür Özel on the grounds of defamation.
Çerçioğlu stated in a post on her social media account, "A criminal complaint has been filed with the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the statements made by CHP Chairman Özgür Özel that target me, which are false, unfounded, defamatory, and aimed at misleading the public."
"NEITHER COMPATIBLE WITH DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL UNDERSTANDING NOR WITH THE PRINCIPLES OF THE RULE OF LAW" Pointing out that Özel's statements have no legal, factual, or concrete basis, Çerçioğlu noted: "These statements constitute an irresponsible attempt that violates personal rights, aims to manipulate the public, and disrupts public order. Such statements are neither compatible with democratic political understanding nor with the principles of the rule of law. As a person carrying out a public duty, it is out of the question to leave such accusations against me and the office I represent unanswered. Any attempt aimed at defamation, slander, and discrediting will be submitted to the discretion of the judicial authorities within the framework of the principles of the rule of law."
WHAT DID ÖZGÜR ÖZEL SAY? CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, during a statement made in the ongoing Aziz İhsan Aktaş trial in Silivri, used the following expressions: "We trust our friends. We trust our friends, our brothers, my brother. Look, this many families have come out, we want a live broadcast looking into your eyes. And now let our children, spouses, siblings, and fathers come home, we want them to come from home to court. A man came here and said, 'If you give 4 million lira, I will release your father.' The family also came to us and said, 'A lawyer came, did this. He made us listen to the prosecutor's voice. He talked to the prosecutor on the phone.' We took these, we filed a complaint. I mean, they didn't give the money, they have no money. We filed a complaint. When I submitted the petition, the man left his phone in Istanbul, got into a borrowed car from someone else. He arranged a boat from Antalya. While he was 52 kilometers away from the boat in Antalya, the gendarmerie stopped him and took him into custody. They caught this lawyer, who said, 'If you defame, I will give 4 million lira and if you accuse each other, I will release your father,' while trying to flee abroad. He is not in custody, friends. They gave him house arrest. There is 'no risk of flight' for him. So there is no need to put him in prison.
Is this justice? They will not enter that prison. Aziz İhsan Aktaş is being tried with 700 years. The man says, 'I bribed everyone here.' 'Prove it.' 'I have no proof.' 'I established a criminal organization,' he says. 'We committed this crime in all municipalities in Turkey,' he says. He is being tried without detention. The one they defamed is in custody. So who is among those they mentioned? Where did he do this the most? In Aydın Metropolitan. Where is he? At the elbow of Tayyip Bey. Right next to Tayyip Bey. Tayyip Bey is praising him now. Why? Because they made Aziz İhsan Aktaş defame all the CHP municipalities he worked with. Before the defamation of Aydın, they showed him Aydın and said, 'Either you will enter Silivri, or you will switch to the AK Party.' Because he switched to the AK Party, the lady is held in high regard. Tayyip Bey praises him, saying, 'He is implementing the best practices of social municipalism.' Until yesterday, he was making defamations, putting people inside."