11.04.2025 14:30
The leader of the CHP, Özgür Özel, responded to Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek's remark calling him an "unashamed man." Minister Şimşek stated, "The leader of the main opposition party should use a more respectful language; it does not suit Mr. Özel to lie and slander."
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CHP General Chairman Özgür Özel, following the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, made a statement regarding the spending of Central Bank reserves against the rising foreign exchange rates, saying: "Şimşek did not say 'Don't do it', did not open a position, and said: 'Reserves are accumulated to be sold one day. Is that day today? Is that day today?' An unashamed man, I am going crazy," he said. Following these remarks, a swift response came from the Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek to Özel. Minister Şimşek stated, "The leader of the main opposition party should use a more civilized language; it does not suit Mr. Özel to lie and slander."
MEHMET ŞİMŞEK: CHARACTER ASSASSINATION
Responding to Özgür Özel's statements about him via his social media account, Minister Şimşek used the following expressions: "Despite many statements made regarding his unfounded claims and accusations, the ongoing remarks of the leader of the main opposition party towards me are a direct character assassination and cannot be presented under the guise of politics. According to the binding provision of the Code of Criminal Procedure regarding the confidentiality of the investigation, the information requested by the Prosecutor's Office is directly communicated to the Prosecutor's Office by MASAK without obtaining the opinion, directive, or approval of any authority."
"LYING AND SLANDERING DOES NOT SUIT"
The report mentioned by Mr. Özel is merely a technical document containing data and does not include any commentary. All reports prepared by MASAK, regardless of the title of expert or assistant expert, have the same legal effect and validity. The leader of the main opposition party should use a more civilized language; it does not suit Mr. Özel to lie and slander.
WHAT DID ÖZGÜR ÖZEL SAY?
Özgür Özel, in his statement regarding the spending of Central Bank reserves against the rising foreign exchange rates following the detention of İBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, said: "Mehmet Şimşek turned out to be a fraud. He had accumulated reserves, for what? Because inflation has decreased, to keep the economy safe. The most wrong thing that could be done in a democracy in this country has been done. In front of the whole world, a political operation was carried out against one of the country's most well-known political actors. They imprisoned the next president. And it was clear that this would crash the stock market, send the currency soaring, and burn the reserves; despite this, he remained silent, did not say 'Don't do it', did not open a position, and said that reserves are accumulated to be sold one day. Is that day today? An unashamed man, I am going crazy!"
"I AM GOING CRAZY"
"Are reserves held so that the stock market does not fall on the day Ekrem İmamoğlu is arrested? Mehmet Şimşek should have prevented this. He should have said that if we are going to do economics, we will stay within democracy. If you imprison an elected person, foreign capital will flee. Do you know what these reserves cost? Before this government came, a retiree who bought 8 quarter gold saw their pension drop to 2.5 gold. Money was saved for retirees. Why? Because if inflation rises, interest rates rise, something else needs to be done to suppress it; if you don't give it, the currency soars, and to prevent that, you burn reserves! It was necessary to be smart. He should have said that we cannot do such a thing, we cannot explain it to the world. Did he know? He knew very well. Why? There is a MASAK report... Şimşek did not say 'Don't do it', did not open a position, and said: 'Reserves are accumulated to be sold one day. Is that day today? Is that day today?' An unashamed man, I am going crazy."
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