26.05.2026 15:51
As squares overflowed before Özgür Özel's rally in Izmir, images that emerged after police intervention became a hot topic. While the crowd gathered at Cumhuriyet Square was intervened with water cannons and tear gas, thousands marched with Özgür Özel to Gündoğdu Square. The scenes from the turbulent rally once again revealed the political tension.
Tension in CHP does not subside for a moment with the court's absolute nullity decision. Özgür Özel, who was temporarily suspended from his CHP chairmanship duties with the absolute nullity decision, applied to the İzmir Governorship today for the 'Nation Gathering' program at Cumhuriyet Square.
GOVERNORSHIP DID NOT ALLOW CUMHURIYET SQUARE
However, the Governorship did not permit Cumhuriyet Square, citing that the area can accommodate a limited number of people, and stated that the program could be held at the nearby Gündoğdu Square. Despite the Governorship's decision, Özel announced that he would hold the program at Cumhuriyet Square and lay a wreath at the Atatürk monument. Subsequently, police teams closed the square with barriers.
INTERVENTION WITH WATER CANNON AND PEPPER SPRAY
Today, police teams warned party members gathered at Cumhuriyet Square to wait for Özgür Özel to clear the way. When the crowd, ignoring the warnings, demanded the removal of barriers, a scuffle broke out. Riot police intervened with water cannons and pepper spray sprayed at the crowd using TOMAs (water cannon vehicles).
ÖZEL WALKED TO GÜNDOĞDU SQUARE WITH THE CROWD
CHP Group Chair Özgür Özel, along with citizens who had gathered at the designated İzmir Cumhuriyet Square but faced police intervention due to lack of Governorship permission, walked to Gündoğdu Square. At the intersection leading to Gündoğdu Square, Özel spoke to the crowd from a bus on Cumhuriyet Boulevard, saying the following:
"YOU WROTE AN EPIC"
"I came to this city at the age of 10. I came to this city at age 10 with my rubber shoes and a small suitcase. This city embraced me, educated me, always stood behind me, and brought me to where I am today. Even when I was first elected as chairperson, this city changed all the balances. To those who said 'A pharmacist named Özgür, the grandson of a gardener, child of two retired teachers and a state scholarship boarding student, cannot become the chairperson of the Republican People's Party, we won't allow it,' İzmir's streets stood behind me, its people stood behind me. I became chairperson for the first time, and you embraced me at the airport. Nobody believed it; you wrote an epic by entrusting me with 29 out of 31 municipalities just four months after I was elected. You believed in me every time. You believed in us. You believed that change within the party would bring change to Turkey."
"IT IS TIME TO TURN ANGER INTO HOPE"
On March 19, there was a coup; you poured into the streets; you overflowed from the Kordon; we called out, and you became millions; you resisted the coup. We did not sell out our friends, and you never left me alone. I know İzmir. On these streets, some days I saw sadness, some days I saw hope, excitement, and enthusiasm, but for the first time today, I see great anger on these streets. Now it is time to turn anger into hope; to create hope from this anger again; to create a new march from this anger, this energy; it is time to save the country.
Today, I came to the airport, from there to Manisa to kiss my father's and mother's hands, to visit the graves of my grandfather, grandmother, and paternal grandmother, to go to my brother Ferdi, to visit our Gülşah's grave. I came to seek forgiveness from my father's hearth, my mother's lap, and the party's paternal home in Manisa."
ÖZEL'S OFFER TO KILIÇDAROĞLU
Addressing Kılıçdaroğlu with an "election" offer, Özel said, "I am calling out to Kemal Bey. Let him come within a week or two after the holiday, and let our 2 million members elect our chairperson. If you put the ballot box in front of 2 million CHP members, I am a candidate. If someone other than me wins the election, not only will I not raise my hand, I will kiss your hand; I will walk by your side for the rest of my life."
Source: ANKA, AA, DHA, İHA