Imamoğlu's strong reaction to the CHP mayor's detention: What is your problem with the people of Istanbul?

The CHP's Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer was taken into custody at his home early in the morning on charges of "being a member of the PKK/KCK armed terrorist organization." A search was conducted at Özer's home and the municipality building. During the searches, riot police took extensive security measures around the municipality building. It was learned that Ahmet Özer had met with terrorist organization leader Remzi Kartal 14 times.

İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, in his first statement regarding Özer, who was taken into custody, said, "Our Esenyurt Mayor Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özer was taken into custody this morning. We are closely monitoring the process. Mr. Özer, who has served in the state and held high-level positions from deanship to vice-rectorship in universities, is a valuable scientist and local administrator. Turkey must stop being a country where early morning raids are conducted against politicians and scientists."

ANOTHER REACTION FROM İMAMOĞLU

İmamoğlu published another reaction statement on his social media account. Asking, "You investigated Mr. Özer's criminal record when he was a candidate for mayor, you checked his archive record. You issued a clean certificate from the same courthouse. What has changed in six months?" İmamoğlu included in his post, "What is your problem with the people of Istanbul? Is this your vision for Turkey, your Turkey Century? Is this what you call embracing?"

Here are İmamoğlu's statements in his post:

"I am closely and seriously monitoring the investigation initiated against Esenyurt Mayor Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özer this morning.

The operation against Mr. Ahmet Özer has further increased our concerns about the independence and impartiality of the judiciary.

I must emphasize that using the judiciary to eliminate political rivals by politicizing it is contrary to the principle of a democratic rule of law.

As the IBB President, I am among those who have experienced these types of practices most painfully. The case opened against me, known in the public as the "Fool Case," and many similar investigations are far from the seriousness of the state and the impartiality of the judiciary.

"THE DAWN OPERATION'S ARREST IS INAPPROPRIATE"

It is inappropriate for Mr. Özer, a scientist and elected mayor who has served in the state and held public positions such as deanship, vice-rectorship, and Secretary-General of the GAP Municipalities Union, to be taken into custody with a dawn operation instead of being summoned for a statement when there is no possibility of him fleeing from the security forces. We know well from which of your legacies you draw inspiration for these dawn operations.

Such practices and cases aimed at eliminating political rivals serve not justice and law, but only the purposes of the government.

These types of practices regarding public figures must be conducted in accordance with the principle of impartiality and with great care.

In the statement made to the public after today's dawn operation, it is claimed that Mr. Özer met with 694 members of terrorist organizations over 10 years. If this claim is true, it means that he met with 5-6 members of terrorist organizations per month. Then why did you wait until now? Are you watching academics who have served the state for years instead of tracking the terrorists attacking TUSAŞ?

You investigated Mr. Özer's criminal record when he was a candidate for mayor, you checked his archive record. You issued a clean certificate from the same courthouse. What has changed in six months?

In a period when President Erdoğan called for an unbiased embrace and a ground was prepared for Abdullah Öcalan to speak in the Parliament to end terrorism, I leave the arrest of a CHP scientist mayor on terrorism charges to the conscience of our nation.

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM WITH THE PEOPLE OF ISTANBUL?"

If this effort is not an assassination of the reputation of the main opposition and Istanbul, then what is it? Let me ask more clearly, what is your problem with the people of Istanbul?

Is this your vision for Turkey, your Turkey Century? Is this what you call embracing?

No matter what you do, no matter what dark plan you think of, we will end this political and institutional decay. We will transform the Republic of Turkey into a structure that is not tied to individuals but to rules and institutions, providing equal and fair service for everyone."