23.05.2025 17:50
The leader of the CHP, Özgür Özel, stated, "Next Tuesday, I will reveal one by one the municipalities in Istanbul that the Court of Accounts has instructed to take action but they have not. If operations are carried out against AK Party municipalities by Tuesday, I will start with the Fatih Municipality. I will disclose the files that you have kept waiting for three years, two years, even though they should have been acted upon."
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel attended the trial of Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, who was appointed as a trustee after being arrested in the courtroom of the Marmara Penal Institution in Silivri.
HE ALSO VISITED İMAMOĞLU
After the trial, Özel visited Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was arrested and suspended from his position in the corruption investigation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and then made a statement outside the prison.
"ARE YOU COLD-HEARTED, ARE YOU TAKING REVENGE?"
Özel stated, "They are detaining our dear friend Kadriye Hanım, the Chief of Staff of our President Ekrem, once again in the early morning from her home where she lives with her son. Kadriye Hanım was previously detained and held for 4 days. She no longer has a statement to give at the police station. This is the procedure, this is the rule. She can now give a statement to the prosecutor regarding this case. Therefore, when she is called to the prosecutor's office, she will go. Look, you have let her go, she hasn't run away. She is at her job. If the prosecutor calls her and says, 'I will ask this too,' she will answer. It should be like that. She has been previously detained, police questioning has been done, and she has come to the prosecutor's office. Many esteemed prosecutors who practice their profession with the diplomas they received from law faculties across Turkey are currently calling in and asking new questions to those who are free. What is this, is it enemy law? To go and take a woman alone with the police from her home where she lives with her little son in the early morning. There is no chance for her brother to arrive from out of town. Her child is staying with others. Now her aunt will come. This level of heartlessness is unacceptable. They took our Secretary General Akın Bey, who had previously been held for four days, using this method and held him for another four days, and then released him again from the prosecutor's office. What is the need for this oppression? What do you expect from this, what are you doing? What benefit does this bring you? Are you cold-hearted, are you taking revenge? Who is this greed for, who is this hatred for? What happens when you oppress someone like Kadriye Hanım, whose duty is to be Ekrem President's Chief of Staff? What happens when you upset her child, when you make her family cry? What benefit does it bring you, what benefit does it bring to the law?"
'I WILL REVEAL THE MUNICIPALITIES IN ISTANBUL THAT THE COURT OF ACCOUNTS SAID TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST'
Özel continued his remarks as follows: "Next Tuesday, I will reveal the municipalities in Istanbul that the Court of Accounts said to take action against, one by one, with evidence. If operations are carried out against AK Party municipalities by Tuesday, I will start with the Fatih Municipality. I will reveal the files that you have kept waiting for three years, two years, even though they should have been acted upon, next Tuesday. Look, again my advice. Call the Mayor to come. Don't go to his house, don't scare his family. Call him, take his statement, and detain everyone mentioned there. Bring them, let me see them held in custody for a day here.
"I HAVE THE COURT OF ACCOUNTS REPORTS OF FATIH MUNICIPALITY IN MY HAND"
We are starting from Fatih. We are playing openly, Akın Bey. I have the Court of Accounts reports of Fatih Municipality in my hand. I have the reports that have been said to be not acted upon for three years. Are you taking Fatih Municipality or not, let me see. Call like a human being. It is not right to treat the Mayor of Fatih in a way that is contrary to human dignity. Don't do it to any mayor. If we were governing the country, I wouldn't let you do this anyway. There is no work among those who govern. You are acting like the representative of a tyrant who has established his own order in a place that is not a rule of law, like the Chief Prosecutor of Turkey or something. I say very clearly, very clearly. This level of injustice has turned the conscience of the nation, it is turning, it will turn."
"I WILL HANG THAT FLAG, LET THEM COME AND TAKE IT DOWN"
Özel also responded to a question regarding the removal of İmamoğlu's banners and posters, saying: "This is the most lawless decision I have ever heard in my life. What is Ekrem İmamoğlu's title? Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Who decides this? The voters of Istanbul. Has the crime been proven? No. What is the most fundamental principle of law? A person is innocent until proven guilty. He is both elected and innocent. Right now, two-thirds of his salary is being deposited. The law is like that, even if you suspend him from duty. His title is Mayor. How can you impose a ban on hanging his photo? Is he guilty? You don't even have an indictment. There is no indictment. Just a command you received, the detention you carried out, and then the detention measure; it is unjust. You are looking for a crime in these people. The more you dig, the deeper you sink. There is no indictment. What would it matter if there was? There is no trial. What would it matter if there was? A decision has not been made. What would it matter if it were made? It needs to be finalized. Only then can you say, 'This person is guilty.' It would be a crime to praise the crime and the criminal, to hang Ekrem İmamoğlu's banner or to hear his voice in the metro, to hear Ekrem İmamoğlu's voice at metro stations. Can such a thing exist? I mean, people are really ashamed. They are ashamed of what they have done. My president, let us hang it, let them come and take it down. I will go now and hang that flag. Let them come and take it down. What kind of criminal is he? The man is denying himself. You have given him a clean paper from the courthouse, he has become a candidate. Since that day, there has been nothing. You have an accusation, but there is no indictment. As if there is a criminal there, 'You cannot do it, you cannot hang it.' Let’s see, I will hang it, let Akın Gürlek come and take it down. A commander will give an unlawful order to the poor police officers, the unfortunate men. Let’s see, a debate with our workers, 'You will take it down, you will not take it down.' It is a shame. Don't make me lose my temper, I will go and hang Ekrem Bey's picture on his office door. There is a limit to this shamelessness."