22.01.2026 09:10
Imprisoned journalist Enver Aysever responded to CHP leader Özgür Özel, who denied that Aysever said "I won't shake the hand of a thief" to Ekrem İmamoğlu in prison. In a statement made through his lawyer, Aysever confirmed that he expressed those words directly to İmamoğlu's face.
The statements allegedly made by detained journalist Enver Aysever regarding detained Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and CHP Chairman Özgür Özel have come back to the agenda. Aysever's lawyer Mikayil Dilbaz responded to the claims in a statement made on his social media account.
In his speech at the rally, Özgür Özel claimed that journalist Enver Aysever's words "I will not shake hands with a thief" during İmamoğlu's prison visit were not true. Lawyer Dilbaz stated in his announcement that he felt the need to inform the public in accordance with his client's knowledge and instructions, confirming that Aysever expressed the relevant statements personally and face-to-face.
CONFIRMED THE STATEMENT "I WILL NOT SHAKE HANDS WITH A THIEF"
Lawyer Mikayil Dilbaz announced that Enver Aysever used the expression "I will not shake hands with a thief" about Ekrem İmamoğlu during the prison visit. Dilbaz stated that these words belong to Aysever and that there was no misrepresentation.
The full statement of Enver Aysever's lawyer Mikayil Dilbaz is as follows:
"As the representative of my client Mr. Enver Aysever, it has become necessary to make this statement upon his knowledge and instruction. My client has clearly and face-to-face stated that he used the expression 'I will not shake hands with a thief' regarding Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu inside, and during the visit, he addressed Mr. Özgür Özel by saying, 'If you occupy the party's only agenda with this issue in defense of thieves, Mr. Chairman, I fear we will change places.'
Today, the denial of these statements from the podium is not a matter of one person; it is an issue of truth, testimony, and ethics in politics. My client emphasizes that he has fought against theft throughout his life, both inside and outside.
Because today, the issue is no longer about individuals or parties; it is a struggle between those who plunder their country and those who love their country. According to my client; a thief does not have a party. Theft is not an ideology, it is a crime. And theft is an open existential threat to this country. Therefore, this struggle is not a choice, but a necessity. The position of the Chairman of the Republican People's Party is a legacy of Atatürk. This position cannot be protected by denying the truth, disregarding witnesses, and saying 'it did not happen.' My client stands behind the words he has said. What is being done today is not to deny one person; it is to deny the principle of honesty in politics."
WHAT DID ÖZGÜR ÖZEL SAY?
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel denied the events that allegedly occurred during Enver Aysever's visit to Ekrem İmamoğlu in prison in his speech at the party's rally in Çekmeköy.
Özgür Özel targeted Aysever by saying, "No, sir, Ekrem President saw the journalist in Silivri... Get well soon, thank you, Mr. President; he wrote a yard of lies. I went, my journalist brother entered, I said get well soon, I visited; not a single word is true."