21.08.2025 22:26
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel described his conversation with Özlem Çerçioğlu, who has joined the AK Party. Özel said, "I looked her in the eye and asked, 'Is there something you're afraid of?' She replied, 'Of course we are afraid.' I then asked, 'Do you have any mistakes or faults?' She said, 'No, Mr. Chairman.' I told her, 'If not, I'm behind you, don't be afraid.' But she was afraid and left." Çerçioğlu, on the other hand, denied the claim, stating, "Özgür Özel is not telling the truth. Such a thing was never said."
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel visited Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was arrested as part of a corruption investigation and removed from his position as the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), along with some other detainees at the Marmara Closed Prison and Detention Center.
ÖZEL RESPONDS TO ÇERÇİOĞLU QUESTION
After the visit, Özel stated to reporters that he visited many people today, including İmamoğlu. Özel responded to a journalist's question about whether other names would switch from CHP to the AK Party after Özlem Çerçioğlu.
"I LOOKED INTO HIS EYES AND ASKED"
Describing the conversation he had with Çerçioğlu, Özel said: "The Özlem Çerçioğlu case is an exceptional case. None of the people here bent even a millimeter or took a step back. Çerçioğlu is someone who has files that exceed the files the friends here are dealing with. When he asked us, I looked into his eyes and said, 'Is there something you are afraid of?' He said, 'Of course we are afraid.' I asked, 'Do you have a mistake or a fault?' He replied, 'No, Mr. Chairman.' I said, 'If not, I am behind you, don’t be afraid.' But he was afraid and left." he responded.
ÇERÇİOĞLU: ÖZGÜR ÖZEL IS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH
Çerçioğlu did not delay in responding. Speaking to Hande Fırat from CNN Türk, Çerçioğlu said, "Özgür Özel is not telling the truth. Such a thing was not said." and contradicted Özel.