13.12.2025 15:11
The leader of the CHP, Özgür Özel, announced that a witness has withdrawn their testimony in the İBB case, stating, "This is news that will hit the Turkish agenda like a bomb." Özel continued, "One of those secret witnesses, Ahmet Taşçı, said, 'The prosecution wanted me to make a statement; I described what I heard, not what I saw. My conscience is not at ease. I do not want to infringe on anyone's rights. I regret it; I am withdrawing from being a secret witness.' This is the judiciary of the AKP."
The 75th rally of the CHP themed "Defending the Will of the Nation" was held today at Kayseri Republic Square. Indicating that the voice of the people will be heard in the squares, Özel said, "The nation will take its rights in these squares."
"THEY HAVE REMOVED EKREM'S POSTERS"
Özel reacted to the removal of posters hung in the city by municipal teams yesterday (December 12) before the rally, saying, "They have upset you. I heard that they removed the posters of this party, the posters of Ekrem President. Do not be upset at all. They collect the posters, we gather the people. Have you ever seen someone who collects posters win an election? Those who gather the people win the election. Those who collect the posters of this rally in Kayseri will leave, and those who gather the people in this square will come."
Stating that they will be in power in the first election, Özel said, "We will win together. We will spread brotherhood, equality, and wealth not to the top like some, but to the bottom. We will spread taxes to the bottom and prosperity to the top."
"MINIMUM WAGE SHOULD BE 39 THOUSAND LIRA"
Criticizing the government based on economic data, Özel stated that the government wanted to create a perception that "the economy is bad all over the world," but that this was not the case. Giving examples from economic data, Özel said, "The world has solved the inflation problem, it has gotten rid of it. The inflation in Turkey does not exist anywhere else in the world."
Continuing with evaluations regarding the minimum wage to be implemented in 2026, Özel reiterated his party's demand for "39 thousand lira." Özel stated that 29 thousand lira of this amount should be covered by the employer, while the remaining part should be supported by the state.
"WILL THERE BE A CHANGE OF PLAYERS IN WITNESSING?"
In the final part of his speech, Özel referred to the İBB case, recalling that the secret witness İlke, who was later added to the indictment, had withdrawn from testifying.
Özel said, "If you have taken everything into account, I have taken everything into account as well. None of us will take a step back. For the first time, we will announce the news that will drop like a bomb on the Turkish agenda from the Kayseri square. Will there be a change of players in witnessing? İlke has made a statement, saying, 'I am not involved in this.' Now they are giving a date for the hearing on March 9. They say the trial period is 12.5 years. This means; 'I have no evidence, when the court is over, he will be acquitted, but I am the prosecutor of the gentleman. That’s why I will continue this for 12.5 years, I will sustain the power of this regime.'"
"HE SAID, 'I TOLD NOT WHAT I SAW BUT WHAT I HEARD'"
Özel announced that another secret witness had also withdrawn from testifying after the witnesses codenamed "Meşe" and "İlke," sharing the petition submitted by the secret witness named Ahmet Taşçı to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
Özel stated that in Ahmet Taşçı's petition, it was written, "The secret witness Ahmet Taşçı submitted a petition, 'The prosecutor wanted me to make a statement, I told not what I saw, but what I heard from the market, my conscience is not at ease at all, my statements have led to someone's arrest, I regret it, I am withdrawing from being a secret witness.'"