03.06.2026 11:11
Özgür Özel, who was removed from the CHP Chairmanship by a decision of absolute nullity, revealed for the first time that during Ekrem İmamoğlu's detention, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu visited him in prison and offered İmamoğlu the party leadership. Özel stated, 'They repeatedly told Ekrem Bey, "Let's come together. Let's exclude Özgür Bey. Let's unite. Let's take down Özgür Bey."'
Coming together with press members at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), Özgür Özel recounted for the first time a remarkable process he said took place between Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who returned to the chair of the CHP General Presidency with a final nullity decision, and Ekrem İmamoğlu. Stating that İmamoğlu's expulsion from the party is not on the table, Özel revealed that during the period İmamoğlu was under arrest, he was offered the general chairmanship.
"LET'S EXCLUDE ÖZGÜR BEY, LET US UNITE"
Meeting with journalists, including Haberler.com Ankara Representative Şerife Güzel, Özgür Özel used the following statements:
"Ekrem İmamoğlu is an elected president. His suspension from duty does not facilitate his expulsion from the party. When Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested, one of the first to visit his wife was Kemal Bey. They visited Ekrem Bey in prison. They repeatedly told Ekrem Bey, 'Let's unite. Let's exclude Özgür Bey. Let us come together. Let's bring down Özgür Bey.' They offered Ekrem Bey the general chairmanship while he was in prison. They set up a ballot box for Ekrem Bey and voted for him."
"WHAT HAPPENED NOW THAT EKREM BEY BECAME A THIEF?"
Özel also recalled the allegations made about İmamoğlu during the period of his arrest. Saying that during that time, images of money would emerge, millions of euros would be found, and various accusations were brought to the agenda, Özel argued that at the point reached today, these allegations have not been substantiated.
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Özel said, "When those things were being said back then and there was no indictment, Ekrem was innocent. Now, when all of these have turned out to be lies, are not included in the indictment, and the slanderers are falling one by one and asking for forgiveness one by one, what happened that Ekrem Bey became a thief? You should say these things when the operation came out at that time. That is taking a stance in one's own way. I think it is shameful. But it is consistent. There were countless slanders back then. Now, as the indictment is being revealed, some are following A Haber and TGRT. This is not acceptable."
"IT SHOWED HOW PRINCIPLED THE OTHER SIDE IS"
Regarding the fact that Veysi Uyanık's son, Ahmet Hakan Uyanık, who was heard as a witness in the congress criminal case and testified about being involved in a money exchange, is a member of Kılıçdaroğlu's MYK, Özel stated, "This shows how principled the other side is."
"WE PLAN TO HOLD A GROUP MEETING ON JUNE 16"
In response to a question about the weekly group meetings held on Tuesdays, Özel gave the following answer: “The Speaker of the Parliament wrote the statement he made. A response was written to that statement. We also held our group meeting today. The Parliament’s counterpart is the group administration and the decisions taken by the group administration. This is why the general chairman cannot be the group chair if he is not a member of parliament. Because the Parliament takes the member of parliament as its counterpart. The Parliament is the place where members of parliament convene. The Parliament does not and cannot take as its counterpart anyone other than a member of parliament or those who will represent the members of parliament. That is the domestic law. When it does, other things start to happen. It is not the first time in the Parliament that the group chair and the general chairman have thought differently. There was a similar example during the time of Karayalçın and Aydın Güven Gürkan. The group chair, the group administration, and the deputy group chair can hold a group meeting at any time. Yesterday, together with 111 members of parliament, we took a stance.
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If we held elections 30 times in the Parliament, this result would come out. But saying 'I am the general chairman, I will not allow a group meeting' etc. is not correct. If there were an elected general chairman, one would work in harmony with him, but now, with an appointed general chairman and a general chairman who has accepted a duty he should not accept and who ran the party away from the congress, if he also does not allow a group meeting, the party will decline. Therefore, to keep the party afloat, sorry, but we will continue to oppose and engage in politics. Will there be a group meeting next week? Actually, there shouldn't be. Because it is the anniversary of Ferdi Zeyrek's death. I need to be in Manisa. But if this turns into a group issue, a matter of obstinacy, we are considering it in case we need to show a position, but normally I plan to be in Manisa on June 9. We plan to hold a group meeting on June 16."
"FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I AM ACCUMULATING ANGER"
When asked about the allegations of a recording against him, Özel said the following: “Everyone knows that no such thing happened. These are entirely psychological warfare tactics used by those who cannot cope with us. We stayed at a hotel in Sivash years ago for the circumcision of Özkan Yalım's child; other than that, we have had meals together. When I see these things, I truly get angry, upset, and nauseous. Honestly, one wants to see a counterpart with whom one can politically compete and their media. Let them not expect a summary of proceedings; let them bring it tomorrow morning, and I'll leave it tomorrow morning. They haven't gotten to know me yet. If that were the case, I wouldn't say 'You hit hard rock' to Akın Gürlek. If I were like that, I would compromise with them. I know Akın Gürlek's unprincipled, ruleless, immoral, and all kinds of disgrace… Don't we know who is directing Son TV? What happened to the volleyball player? What happened to the images on the plane? It's all buffoonery, all slander. For the first time in my life, but for the first time, I am accumulating anger. Because this is not acceptable. We are dealing with a mentality that has a dead woman slandered. Unbelievable."
When asked about the impact of the decision on Turkey's political life, Özel said, "The way to paralyze political parties, to paralyze a structure, is to break their backbone. Our backbone is not broken by something like that of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. The backbone of this party is its organization. The backbone of this party is its organization, from top to bottom, that carries it, its members. Look at which side the organization is on."