22.03.2025 21:00
President Erdoğan harshly criticized the CHP through the investigation in which Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Mayor İmamoğlu was detained. Erdoğan stated, "The CHP cannot respond to the filth that has been exposed. Mr. Özel, who are you going to stab in the back now?" referencing the controversy surrounding Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's statement, "I was stabbed in the back."
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President Erdoğan harshly criticized the CHP through the investigation in which İBB President İmamoğlu was detained. Erdoğan said, "The CHP cannot respond to the filth that has been exposed. Mr. Özel, who will you stab in the back now?" reminding of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's polemic of "I was stabbed in the back."
Highlights from Erdoğan's statements are as follows:
"I hope these sacred days will be a means for the liberation of all our brothers who are fighting for life and dignity, especially in Gaza and Palestine. The Zionist Netanyahu administration has resumed its genocide in Gaza by breaking the ceasefire. Especially targeting children and killing women, they are shedding innocent blood in torrents. The more tragic side of this savagery is that many countries in the world, especially Western governments, are in a state of great indifference in the face of barbarism.
When the oppressed Palestinian is a tyrant and Israel is also a tyrant, the language used suddenly changes. When journalists are killed in Gaza, the stance of international media organizations changes instantly. None of those who give lessons to the world on human rights and freedoms have yet reacted to the despicable killing of infants in their cradles. Just as those who do not leave their posts in war, we will also stand by the Palestinian issue. As Turkey, we are conducting a multi-faceted diplomatic traffic to establish a ceasefire in Gaza.
The month of Ramadan, along with the fasting worship, is an opportunity for us to embrace our nation, to be in solidarity with our citizens, and to win new hearts. The love we accumulate during Ramadan keeps our passion for serving the nation constantly fresh and vibrant throughout the rest of the year. As the AK Party, we have always strived to spend the month of Ramadan in a worthy manner. Our Istanbul provincial organization has also been alongside our fellow citizens in Istanbul with its activities in 39 districts throughout Ramadan. It has rushed to the aid of those in need. It has nurtured the climate of solidarity during Ramadan. I would like to express my gratitude to all my companions who work tirelessly from our district organizations to women's and youth branches.
We will take our place on the side that fuels polarization, deepens division, and elevates embrace, love, and brotherhood. No matter what the opposition does, we will never abandon common sense, patience, and calmness. Our municipalities will not be on the side of corruption. Our municipalities will not be on the side of injustice. They will serve their people knowing what is right, truth, lawful, and unlawful.
While trying to turn these blessed days into an opportunity to strengthen the internal front of our nation, the main opposition is acting with the exact opposite agenda. They first wanted to ignite sectarian strife by using the events caused by remnants of the old regime in Syria as an excuse. They attempted to set a trap for our Alevi citizens. We thwarted this game, thank God. Our nation did not fall for this game, did not succumb to provocations.
For the past four days, they have been doing everything to disturb the peace of the nation and polarize our people. From attacking our police officers who are just doing their duty, to intimidating our judiciary members, to street terrorism aimed at putting national will under pressure, everything you can imagine is present in their actions. Today, they openly threatened media organizations, revealing their state of mind.
They threatened the media by naming television and media groups, saying, 'I am keeping track of all of you.' Is this how politics is done? They are trying every means to create an atmosphere of tension and chaos in our cities, especially in Istanbul. Under the current administration, the CHP has turned into an apparatus that justifies a handful of municipal thieves blinded by money, rather than being a party that carries the demands of CHP voters to the Parliament.
Interest networks that benefit from municipalities have dragged the CHP into dirt, filth, mud, corruption, and lawlessness up to its neck. Trash, pits, mud, they are doing the same thing. But they have one characteristic; those who boast about the party founded by Atatürk have handed over Gazi's party to thieves. The CHP has become a toy not only for the thieves but also for the marginal groups.
A lot of filth is being revealed regarding diploma fraud, exceeding the limits of reason and morality. Dollars and Euros are gushing out. There are talks of a horrific plunder worth hundreds of billions of lira. The CHP chairman and his entourage cannot respond to any of these. They cannot say, 'There is no fraud, theft, corruption, or bribery.' They cannot say that neither we nor our friends have reached for the unlawful. They cannot vouch for the mayor, the executives, or their friends they walk with. Instead of responding to serious allegations like lions, they are working to suppress the truth by attacking us, insulting the esteemed chairman of our coalition partner, hiding behind the youth, and bringing marginal organizations to the forefront.
Mr. Özel, why are you afraid? Why are you hesitant? Why this panic, this atmosphere of aggression? Until yesterday, you were saying there was no suspicion. What happened that suddenly your skirts caught fire? What happened that your knees started to tremble? Now, who will you purge, who will you stab in the back? By devious means, whose foot will you trip now?
The filth that has been exposed disturbs not only us and our nation but also those with a conscience within the CHP. The fact that a handful of greedy individuals have taken control of a century-old party, playing with the CHP that says it is Gazi's party, worries the citizens of the CHP. They cannot digest witnessing the same events again 32 years after the İSKİ scandal.
As long as this band of thieves and looters, which has wrapped around the CHP like a poisonous vine, is not cleaned out, it cannot regain its political reputation and party identity. In politics, honor, dignity, and trust are virtues that, once lost, cannot be easily restored. The CHP chairman Özel has not been able to break the chains placed on his will, nor has he freed himself from tutelage.
We are absolutely not pleased with the state of the leader of Turkey's main opposition party being reduced to this. We desire to see an opposition that is suitable for our quality and caliber. I find it beneficial to remind once again; going out to the streets with leftist organizations, marginal groups, and vandals to shake a finger at the national will is now a thing of the past. Since the day the direction was drawn from street terrorism to politics and justice, it has remained in the past like old Turkey.
Turkey is a rule of law state, an independent country where the rule of law prevails. If you have the courage, let democracy and law operate. If your heart is strong enough, let the courts make their decisions on behalf of the Turkish nation without any pressure. Let the law reveal the truth between black and white, between the innocent and the criminal. No one in Turkey is outside the scope of the law. There is no privileged minority with the freedom to commit crimes in Turkey, and there will not be.
Those who seek solutions outside of democracy, law, and legitimate ground have always ended up empty-handed. Inshallah, they will not achieve their goals from now on either. We will never allow the CHP and its supporters to disrupt public order and disturb the peace of our nation with provocations.
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We will not tolerate operations against Turkey, surgeries, or the sowing of new seeds of discord among 85 million people. We will continue to live together on this land, hopefully in brotherhood.
We will be one, we will be together, we will be united, we will be alive, and we will collectively defeat those who ambush the brotherhood of 85 million for their own interests.
Details are coming.