Reactions follow one after another to the detention of politician Ümit Özdağ.

Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ, who was investigated on charges of 'insulting the President', was detained while having dinner at a restaurant located on Iran Street in Ankara.

HE IS BEING TAKEN TO ISTANBUL

It has been learned that Özdağ will be brought to Istanbul by the police teams after his procedures and health check here. Özdağ will be referred to Vatan Security.

STATEMENT FROM THE ZAFER PARTY

In a press statement regarding the issue, the Zafer Party said, "Our Chairman Prof. Dr. Ümit Özdağ was detained at a restaurant where he was having dinner in Ankara, and after the health check at the State Railways Hospital, he is currently being taken to Istanbul. We invite all our citizens, his supporters, and party members to stand by our Chairman Prof. Dr. Ümit Özdağ. We strongly urge our citizens not to trust information that does not come from official channels. Necessary statements regarding the situation will be made from our party's official accounts in the upcoming process," it was stated.

İMAMOĞLU'S STATEMENT ON ÖZDAĞ

İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu published a statement on his social media account regarding the development. İmamoğlu said, "It is unacceptable for an investigation to be opened and for Zafer Party Chairman Mr. Ümit Özdağ to be quickly detained due to his speech. Politics exists to speak and criticize, and in democracies, political reckoning happens at the ballot box. The judiciary cannot be an instrument of politics."

CHP LEADER ÖZEL'S REACTION

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel also reacted. Özel stated, "Detaining Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ in a hurry at the restaurant where he was having dinner instead of calling him for a statement is a continuation of efforts to discredit opposition politicians. Accepting this, remaining silent, or turning a blind eye to it is not possible. Regardless of their contradictions, the reputation of a political party's chairman is entrusted to the chairmen of other political parties. Every step taken by those who do not possess this virtue will go down in our political history as a stain. The events also place responsibility on the Speaker of the Assembly, Numan Kurtulmuş, due to his previous status as a member of parliament. I once again call on Tayyip Erdoğan: He should withdraw his subcontractors from the struggle against his political rivals and bring the ballot box to the people as soon as possible. Our Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır and our Deputy Chairman Özgür Karabat have been assigned by me to visit Mr. Chairman, whom we learned has been brought to Istanbul, and to accompany the process."

DERVİŞOĞLU: DAMN THE TYRANNY, LONG LIVE FREEDOM

İYİ Party Chairman Müsavat Dervişoğlu reacted to the detention of Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ. Dervişoğlu, in a post on his social media account, tagged Ümit Özdağ and said, "We will slap the judicial acrobatics, political trickery, media sleight of hand; your sedition, your corruption, your traps, and all these vile acts in your face! We are not counted by fingers, we do not perish by breaking. Damn the tyranny, long live freedom! Damn the system, long live the Great Turkish Nation!"

MANSUR YAVAŞ ALSO MADE A STATEMENT

Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş said: "The detention of Ümit Özdağ is a deep source of concern in terms of freedom of expression and democratic values. What is this haste? You are applying a hasty detention process. Let the process unfold in its own course."

MUHARREM İNCE: POLITICS HAS A CODE OF CONDUCT

Memleket Party Chairman Muharrem İnce stated on his social media account: "The detention of Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ due to his statements is unacceptable. In the partisan presidential system; you have turned the party into the state and the state into the party. You are trying to eliminate and silence your political rivals through the judiciary. You have ruined the economy and are becoming harsher as you fail. Politics has a code of conduct. Do not step outside that code, do not drag Turkey towards a more authoritarian regime, Erdoğan."

DAVUTOĞLU: IT IS A CLEAR INTERVENTION IN POLITICS BY THE JUDICIARY!

Future Party Chairman Ahmet Davutoğlu stated on his social media account, "Although I fundamentally disagree with the political and humanitarian stance and the ideas expressed in the mentioned speech of Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ, his detention in Ankara and being taken to Istanbul is a clear intervention in politics by the judiciary!"

WHAT HAPPENED?

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that an investigation had been initiated against Özdağ due to the statements he made regarding President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Özdağ stated regarding President Erdoğan, "Rest assured that no Crusade that has taken place in the last thousand years has caused as much harm to the Turkish nation and the Turkish state as Erdoğan and the AKP have. No Crusade has been able to infiltrate spies into the Turkish State."