01.07.2025 15:52
Last week, Ümit Özdağ, the leader of the Victory Party, who was released from prison, made a notable move. Özdağ prohibited party members from attending the CHP's rally in Saraçhane this evening.
The 100th day of the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu will be marked today with a rally organized by the CHP at Saraçhane, where the IMM building is located. The Victory Party sent a letter to its organizations requesting that no one attend the rally. After İmamoğlu's arrest, many rallies he organized featured CHP Chairman Özgür Özel calling for freedom for the then-detained Victory Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ, and it is curious what he will say about this decision.
"NO ONE WILL ATTEND"
While CHP Chairman Özgür Özel was making a call to citizens for the rally, Özdağ sent a letter to his party's provincial and district organizations. The letter stated, "No one from the Victory Party organizations will attend the CHP event in Saraçhane today."
EXPLAINED THE REASON
On the other hand, Özdağ's decision to make such a call drew attention. Speaking to İsmail Saymaz, Özdağ explained the reason for the decision: "I requested that the organization not attend the rally due to the possibility of the provocations and reactions arising from the inappropriate cartoon in LeMan being transferred to Saraçhane. Furthermore, this is a CHP rally, not ours," he said.
Özdağ was arrested in Istanbul on January 21 on charges of 'inciting the public to hatred and hostility or humiliation' and was released on June 17. Two days after his release, CHP Chairman Özel met with Victory Party Chairman Özdağ.