15.05.2026 11:50
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel responded to the allegations of arrested Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım. Stating that none of Yalım’s allegations are true, Özel said regarding the circulated WhatsApp screenshot, "Our lawyers will apply to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. We will demand the restoration of the deleted message. There is something in the deleted correspondence that favors us. Once it is deleted, it creates such an ambiguous meaning. When it is restored, it will become clear that there was no money involved."
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel spoke to halktv.com.tr. Responding to the allegations made by arrested Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım in his statement of effective remorse, Özel stated that all claims are completely false.
ÖZEL RESPONDS TO WHATSAPP SCREENSHOT ALLEGATIONS
Özel noted that the WhatsApp messages circulated on social media, allegedly between him and Yalım, are not real, and said the following:
"I don't have those messages. When I gave my old phone to my private secretary, I completely removed my WhatsApp. I think they deleted something between what I wrote and what Özkan said. If there were something about money, why would they delete it if I had said such a thing? They deleted the messages or photos in between to create a meaning against us.
Our lawyers will file a complaint with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. If this was actually presented as evidence, we will demand that Özkan Yalım's phone be opened and examined. We will request the recovery of the deleted messages. Clearly, there's something there. In the deleted correspondence, made to appear as if it wasn't deleted, there is something in our favor. When it was deleted, it created this vague impression. If that comes to light, it will be clear there was no money involved. That's the first thing.
He said, 'I threw it in the garden of the house.' Let's see the messages for that. Supposedly I told him, 'Throw it in the garden of the house,' and he put the money by the wall. My house is in a large garden with 18 houses. It's one of the farthest houses from the garden wall. There's a high wall by the road; supposedly I said, 'Put the money on top.' They claim there's such a message; let it come to light too."
"THERE WAS NO FORMAL AND CONCRETE COMPLAINT ABOUT YALIM"
In response to the question, "Complaints about Yalım reached the headquarters in August 2025, but no action was taken. Is that true?" Özel answered, "There was nothing that reached us formally and concretely. When something does reach us, we immediately assign people, they go. I even talk about it myself. For example, I spoke with Keçiören, with Afyon. No information about private matters came from Uşak. No formal or written complaint like 'This is happening, money is being taken' came in."
"NOTHING HE SAYS IS TRUE"
Responding to allegations that votes were bought from some delegates with job promises at the 38th Ordinary Congress in 2023, where he was elected Chairman, Özel noted:
"In Gaziantep, he mentioned one child is 5 years old and another is 8. One woman has no children. Nothing he says is true. As CHP, we said in court regarding the congress: 'The names of the delegates are known, their children are known, scan for before and after the congress.' We are requesting this. Because there's no such thing. 12 witnesses were heard on these matters from those making the claims; not one could provide proof."
Özel answered the question, "Were you late in expelling Yalım?" as follows:
"Not at all, there's no such thing. For expulsion, a Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting is required. We referred Yalım to the disciplinary committee with a request for definite expulsion during an MYK meeting. The disciplinary committee requests his defense. According to the notification law, you send it to prison for his defense. On the day his defense period expired, they convened an extraordinary meeting and expelled him. In 22 days... All parties' bylaws are like this. When referred to discipline for definite expulsion with precautionary measures, from that moment on, it is treated as expulsion. We did it in the first MYK meeting, and he was expelled within 2.5-3 weeks. The AK Party media says 'They can't expel him.' The man has a defense period; he was expelled on the day the period expired, and he didn't even submit a defense."
HOW DID YALIM BECOME THE MAYORAL CANDIDATE?
Stating that Özkan Yalım became a Member of Parliament in 2015 because he came first in the primary election, Özel also said the following regarding Yalım being made the mayoral candidate:
"First, we included those who applied for the survey; the man was a three-term MP, and also wealthy; he came first. We said we would nominate him. Our Uşak MP Ali Karaoba came and said, 'Let's not have Özkan; I found a well-known name who will definitely win.' This person was a retired bureaucrat known in the city and on the right wing. We surveyed again; Özkan again came out high."
"I AM 100 PERCENT SURE..."
Özel, who said he sent a message five months ago to Afyonkarahisar Mayor Burcu Köksal, who recently joined AK Party, saying, "Don't do it, Burcu, you will go to the side of the men you called Trikupis's soldiers" and "If the corruption issue is about your husband, get divorced, the party will protect you," stated that Köksal did not respond to the messages and said, "She didn't reply to that message that day. She didn't, but I am 100 percent sure it was about an issue related to her husband."
"PUT IT IN THE BLUE SUITCASE" MESSAGE BECAME A TRENDING TOPIC
In some news that has come to public attention, WhatsApp messages allegedly exchanged between Özkan Yalım and Özgür Özel were included. In the said correspondence, Özel was seen sending a message to Yalım saying, "Özkan, tomorrow, as a secure package, put it in my blue suitcase in my car in Denizli," and Yalım replied, "Okay." Meanwhile, in his statement under effective remorse, Özkan Yalım claimed that Özgür Özel demanded 1 million lira from him and that he delivered this money.