A large crowd gathered! A 'democracy' rally by CHP in Beşiktaş.

After the detention of CHP Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat as part of an investigation into a criminal organization, a "People's Meeting" was held in Beşiktaş.

A LARGE CROWD GATHERED

CHP mayors and party members from all over Turkey formed a large crowd in front of Beşiktaş Municipality. It was observed that the CHP supporters filled the square to the brim, holding banners that read, "Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation."

THEY CALLED FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO RESIGN

The crowd chanted slogans such as "Everywhere is Beşiktaş, everywhere is resistance," "The day will come, the tide will turn, the AKP will account to the people," "There is no salvation alone, either together or none of us," and "Rights, law, justice," also calling for the government to resign.

ÖZGÜR ÇELİK: WE ARE FIGHTING A GREAT DEMOCRACY STRUGGLE

Özgür Çelik, the CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman, made the first speech at the meeting. Çelik stated: "Once again, great democracy struggles took place in these lands after the Republic. In the 1960s, young people who threw the 6th Fleet into the sea under the slogan of a fully independent Turkey paid great prices. Young Deniz and his friends were executed. And again, in the 2000s, Ali İsmail and Berkin paid prices for a peaceful Turkey, for a democratic Turkey. Every day, journalists pay a price, every day, politicians pay a price. Today, we are also fighting a great democracy struggle.

"SINCE MARCH 31, THEY HAVE DECLARED WAR ON OUR MUNICIPALITIES IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD"

Today, within our great democracy struggle, we have friends in Çağlayan, we have friends in Silivri. Greetings to Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat from here to Çağlayan Courthouse. And greetings to Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özer from here to Silivri Prison. And greetings to the heroes of the democracy struggle, Tayfun Kahraman, Can Atalay, and all our friends in Silivri prison. Since March 31, they have literally declared war on our municipalities. They have declared war on our municipalities with democracy coups, detentions, and shake-ups.

"YOU ARE FIGHTING WITH THE RETIREES SUPPORTED BY OUR MAYORS"

I am addressing a handful of minorities in Ankara, I am addressing those in power in Ankara; the ones you are fighting are not the mayors of the Republican People's Party. You are fighting with 3-year-old children who go to our mayors' daycare centers. You are fighting with retirees whom our mayors support in the market. You are fighting with students who receive scholarships and accommodation from our mayors. You have driven the retirees and workers into poverty and misery. While you are fighting with our mayors who stand by the retirees and workers with social assistance, you are fighting with low-income families. I am addressing the political power from here. Whenever a government starts to fight with its people, it means the end of that government. What did the wise man of Anatolia, Yunus Emre, say? 'Those who prosper through oppression will be ruined.' The people will give them the answer they deserve with a democratic slap.

"THEY TARGET DEMOCRACY, THEY TARGET THE FUNDAMENTAL VALUES OF OUR REPUBLIC"

By declaring war on our municipalities, detaining and arresting our mayors, they are not only targeting our mayors, but they are also targeting the people's municipalities, targeting democracy. They are targeting democracy, they are targeting the fundamental values of our republic. They think they can stop the first party in Turkey with democracy coups, pressures, detentions, and the political cases opened against our Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, and the cases opened against our General Chairman Özgür Özel, and the cases opened against our previous chairpersons. They will not be able to stop us; we will win, the people will win. We will definitely win.

İMAMOĞLU: I AM ASHAMED

After Özgür Çelik, Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu took the stage. Addressing the citizens gathered in front of the municipality, İmamoğlu said: "Actually, it would summarize the essence of the matter to explain what the looks in the eyes of this crowd express. Of course, I know that each of you is actually angry. You are angry, but you are also very sad. Because you are experiencing the shame of the injustice and unlawfulness faced by our brother, Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, right in the heart of this ancient city, Istanbul. I am ashamed. Do you know why I am ashamed? You will say, 'Those who do this should be ashamed,' but let me tell you, they will not be ashamed. Those who do this will not be ashamed. We are ashamed because this does not suit this country, this nation, and these beautiful people. The people of this blessed homeland want to enjoy being one and together. We have a person who wants to be in the most beautiful place in the world with the strength of being one and together.

What are we dealing with? A period when the applications of justice are in ruins.

"LET THEM VOTE, THIS IS HOW IT IS"

Just think, a handful of judiciary members acting as if they are guided by orders, trying to seize the will of the people with a consciousness of acting as a tool of authoritarian thought and understanding, while also engaging in political patronage with lust. These political operations are actually an effort by a power that does not accept law and democracy to make this country devoid of opposition. They want a Turkey without opposition. Just like we remember vividly the election we won in Istanbul in 2019 with the 13 thousand votes won by the people, right? Don't forget to remind everyone. Don't let anyone forget. They want us to forget. No, we will not forget. Do you know why? The President rejected the election we won with 13 thousand 600 votes with these sentences; 'Do you think you can win Istanbul with 13 thousand votes?' However, an election can be won with even one vote. To the one who says, 'Do you think 13 thousand votes will be enough for you?' this nation slapped back 806 thousand times. They did not learn their lesson, and just five years later, they were slapped back a million times. This democratic slap is still not enough. They are still dealing with the people. They are meddling with the will of the people. Those who cannot accept that the CHP won the election on March 31 and became the first party also have a fondness for Istanbul. Such love, passion, and romance are just stories. There is only one concern. Look, did they manage to get anything like a channel in the election? Why couldn't they? Because they think the people won't vote if they hear it. Let them vote, this is how it is.

"THE ONLY OBSTACLE IN FRONT OF HIM IS MILLIONS WHO SEE CHP AS HOPE"

They have a stance that represents the understanding that any means are permissible for one vote. I am calling out from here; the CHP is the first party, but it is the common sense and foresight of the people that makes the CHP the first party. Therefore, I am not addressing the CHP here; I am addressing the fact that this nation is the first party. From now on, it will always be first. Look, there is only one obstacle related to the election of the current government and Mr. Erdoğan. We know how they disregard the constitution when the time comes. He knows that the only obstacle in front of him is millions who see the CHP as hope. He knows this. That is why he is trying to hook the people of the CHP. The understanding that tries to impose a political ban by removing the mayors elected by the people is actually an effort to subjugate the nation. Will this nation bow down? Has this nation ever bowed down to oppression? No, it will not. That is why they will not succeed. We will resist together. We will stand together for the will of the people. A government that has stepped outside the law and democracy is not just an issue for one group or another; I announce it again from here. What is happening today is not just an issue for the CHP. What we are experiencing right now is the issue of the people. Today it is your turn, tomorrow it will be mine. There is no end to this.

SPECIAL: THERE IS ONLY ONE SOVEREIGN IN DEMOCRACY, AND THAT IS THE PEOPLE

After İmamoğlu's statement, General Chairman Özgür Özel said: "Today is a working day, and everyone here would have preferred to work for a better Turkey. But everyone left their work and came here. Because we came here to stand by the will of the people with a president who loves the homeland, flag, and nation. Those who are slaves to arrogance and power, who applaud themselves in warm rooms with their appointees, and who have come to a place by constantly voicing their past judicial grievances, have started to do all the evils to their opponents that they could not defeat. However, we all know that there is only one sovereign in democracy; that is the people. Rıza Akpolat has been serving here for 5 years. He worked with hardworking people with shining eyes and served this city for five years. He was nominated again and returned to the streets of Beşiktaş. Beşiktaş knew him, and he knew Beşiktaş.

"WHATEVER THEY WANTED, THEY WERE MET WITH A TANK"

I call out to all the political figures we compete with; if all 31 council members have been given to one party, satisfaction is complete. Beşiktaş has decided who it will receive services from. Those who cannot enter through this door with the votes of the people are trying to enter through political games. In such a situation, trying to enter CHP municipalities with judicial games and conducting character assassination is not good. Erdoğan, remember this; whatever you wanted, those you gave it to met you with the tank you pulled under them one day. Believing in the people and standing by the elected ones means being in opposition.

"INJUSTICE WILL NOT BRING PEACE TO ERDOĞAN"

We stood right in front of those who stand against the people. Trying to stir up Istanbul with the instruction of a prosecutor who was given a vehicle instead of a tank, trying to discredit CHP municipalities, using force when they could not surpass this understanding, benefits no one, nor will it bring peace or benefit to Erdoğan.

There is no evidence or proof in the instruction from Recep Tayyip Erdoğan saying, "I cannot digest that the largest district in Turkey is in the hands of the CHP." We are grateful to all our mayors. Because their concern is the people. Our mayors are making history. These mayors are concerned with pleasing our citizens. They are the ones who support students in need and pat their backs. One of them is our brother Rıza, who went to spend time with his sick father, whom he could not visit during the long summer period due to his service rush. At 4:30 in the morning, the police knocked on his door as if they were breaking it down. The police were waiting at the door opened by his mother.

"AKPOLAT DID NOT FLEE, BUT SOME OF YOUR APPOINTEES FLED TO PENNSYLVANIA"

Neither I nor anyone appointed by Kılıçdaroğlu has ever fled anywhere. But there are those among Erdoğan's appointees who sought refuge in Pennsylvania, those who sought refuge in Germany, and those who remained in Silivri when they could not escape. We have never failed to go when summoned by a prosecutor, and we will not. We do not make such mistakes. There are no mistakes in Atatürk's party; there are no ones who do not love their country.

"IHSAN AKTAŞ HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR PARTY OR OUR PRESIDENT"

We looked into who İhsan Aktaş is. Aktaş's companies are everywhere.

They have companies everywhere, both local and central. They are in the Court of Accounts, in THY, and in the municipality without party distinction. These companies are also involved in vehicle and cleaning tenders. They are present in this municipality as well. This company is present in every tender. This company's name has nothing to do with CHP or our president.

They tried to associate both Esenyurt and Beşiktaş through İhsan Aktaş. Actually, when you are in the period of the trustee, that plan collapsed. Mr. Rıza did not do anything wrong. Those who kept him on the -3rd floor for four days made him sit on a chair. Today, they took him to the courthouse without even taking his statement. If you are going to take him today, why did you keep him waiting for four days? I am sure he will be here in a few hours. Show your strength to those who do evil; we only trust you.

"THEY FELL INTO THE PIT THEY DUG"

What you are doing is discrediting the public servant of the state. I am addressing the citizens with high national feelings; look at what they are doing to the state. Just as there is no institution left where İhsan Aktaş has not done business, they gave Aktaş's company the authority to make a plan other than a gas station at a location on the TEM highway by adding a clause to the omnibus law on December 4. Hey Erdoğan, Rıza Akdoğan has no connection with Aktaş. Look next to you to see who İhsan Aktaş is in contact with.

Now we all see the irregularities that Aktaş has committed with AKP municipalities. Akpolat will give a statement and return to his duty. So, will you subject your own municipalities to the same treatment? In Ankara, one person has been assigned to discredit CHP municipalities. We are bound to the conscience of the Turkish judiciary.

From here, I call on the judiciary members who will not feel guilty for the decision they made: if there is a crime, do not show mercy to anyone, and do not respond to those who strive to discredit innocent people. We expect justice from you. Rights, law, justice. We demand justice for Rıza, for Istanbul. The decision made today will come to light even if it takes years. Of course, the one who made this decision will be held accountable. If that file is an order file, otherwise that file will close today and open when the time comes. Let no one forget this. Rıza Akpolat is the child, honor, and pride of all of us. We are grateful to those who rush to support Istanbul's president and management. We will continue to stand against evil.