03.09.2026 10:30
In the voluntary drug screening conducted at Keçiören Municipality, 171 out of 3,481 personnel tested positive. The employment contracts of 129 people were terminated. During a CNN Türk broadcast where the issue was discussed, tensions suddenly rose between Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özaslan and journalist İsmail Dükel. Reacting to Özaslan's words, "With this mentality, you cannot walk around Keçiören," in response to Dükel's comments about civil servants, Dükel replied, "What will you do? Will you have me killed?"
In the voluntary drug screening conducted at Keçiören Municipality, 171 out of 3,481 personnel tested positive. 129 people were dismissed. During a CNN Türk broadcast discussing the issue, tensions escalated between Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özaslan and journalist İsmail Dükel. After Dükel's comments about civil servants, Özaslan said, "With this mindset, you cannot walk around Keçiören," to which Dükel responded, "What will you do? Have me killed?"
MAYOR JOINED THE BROADCAST BY PHONE
Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özaslan conducted voluntary drug tests on employees of municipal subsidiaries as part of the fight against drugs. In the voluntary drug screening, 171 out of 3,481 personnel tested positive. 129 people were dismissed.
The issue, which became a public agenda, was discussed on CNN Türk's program moderated by Ahmet Hakan. Mayor Mesut Özaslan also joined the program via phone.
Journalist İsmail Dükel, one of the program's guests, asked, "Mr. Mayor, from what I understand, these people are contracted personnel hired through the company. Is that correct, Mayor?"
ONLY WORKERS IN MUNICIPAL COMPANIES
In response to Dükel's question, Ahmet Hakan intervened, saying, "Where did you get that from? Did he say that himself? Did he say 'Not all municipal personnel'? He said 'company,' he said 'company.' Hired through the company. Either the Mayor calls the municipality a 'company,' or it really is a company."
Dükel continued, "Mr. Mayor, you said they are company employees, are they those working within the municipal companies?" Özaslan replied, "The municipality, sir, they are not civil servants."
İsmail Dükel then asked, "Okay, workers. But aren't these civil servants? Why didn't you test the civil servants?" Özaslan said, "They didn't want to undergo the test."
"CIVIL SERVANTS DIDN'T WANT TO UNDERGO THE TEST"
İsmail Dükel, in response, asked Özaslan, "You can terminate the contracts of company employees; how does it work for civil servants regarding leaving or not leaving their jobs?"
Özaslan replied, "If something like that comes up regarding them, we would report it to the authorities; to the police and the prosecutor's office."
"DO CIVIL SERVANTS WHO DIDN'T TAKE THE TEST SEEM TO HAVE USED DRUGS?"
Dükel, reiterating that civil servants didn't take the test, asked, "So, will the prosecutor's office take any action for those who tested positive? In this case, does it mean the civil servants there used drugs? Is this the perception being created in society?"
Mesut Özaslan reacted to Dükel's question, saying, "What does that have to do with anything, sir? What we are doing about drugs, İsmail Bey, don't do this, what's the connection?"
İsmail Dükel asked, "Isn't this an injustice to the civil servants there, Mr. Mayor?" Özaslan responded, "Look, İsmail Bey, on a voluntary basis, we offer this to all our municipal personnel; those who wanted to, did it. Is it an injustice to say 'No civil servants had the test'?" Dükel said, "No, that's not why I'm saying this. I'm talking about the perception. The perception it creates among society, towards their spouses, friends, and acquaintances."
Mesut Özaslan then said, "Don't worry, the public is very satisfied. You think just like Sözcü newspaper." Dükel responded, "No, I don't think like Sözcü newspaper. I think like a normal person. I don't think like Sözcü newspaper, okay? I think like a normal person."
WORDS THAT RAISED TENSIONS
Özaslan said, "Oh, come on, if you think like a normal person, then it's the fight against drugs. In my Keçiören, my people are satisfied. Let's conduct a survey, are you in, İsmail Bey? You cannot walk around Keçiören with this mindset. With this mindset, you cannot walk around the streets of Keçiören."
"I PERCEIVE IT AS A THREAT"
Tensions rose instantly in the studio after these words from Mesut Özaslan. Angered by Mayor Özaslan's statement, "You cannot walk around the streets of Keçiören with this mindset," İsmail Dükel said, "I walk around, I'm in Keçiören, I walk around. You don't see it because you never leave your office. I walk around. You can't tell me that. Let's make a statement and see what they say about you. See what they say about you. I also perceive this as a threat. I perceive this as a threat. Saying 'You cannot walk around Keçiören' means threatening me here."
In response, Özaslan said, "You keep watering this down along with Sözcü TV."
"IF I WALK AROUND, WHAT WILL HAPPEN? WILL YOU HAVE ME KILLED?"
Dükel then reacted, saying, "How can that be? What kind of tone is this? What kind of tone is this? Fix your tone. This can't happen, can it? 'You cannot walk around Keçiören.' So if I walk around, what will happen? What do you mean, if I walk around, what will happen? What do you mean, you can't walk around? What kind of threat is this? What kind of threat is this? If I walk around, what will you do? Will you have me killed? Will you have me killed? What does 'You cannot walk around Keçiören' mean? Can you explain that to me?"
Mesut Özaslan said, "If I explain your mindset, everyone will react." Dükel said, "There is no mindset or anything like that. You told me, 'You cannot walk around Keçiören.' If I walk around, will you have me killed? That's what I'm asking."
Özaslan said, "You cannot walk around; everyone there is fighting against drugs. Are you in? Will you also take the test?"
Dükel also said, "Fighting drugs is every citizen's duty. But fighting drugs is not an area to be used for politics."
"DÜKEL PERCEIVED IT AS A THREAT"
As voices rose during the argument between the two, Ahmet Hakan intervened. Hakan said to Özaslan, "Mr. Mayor, Dükel perceived your statement 'You cannot walk around the streets of Keçiören with this mindset' as a form of threat and reacted to it. If you explain what you meant, let's lower the tension on that issue."
WHY DID HE USE THAT PHRASE?
After Ahmet Hakan's intervention, Mesut Özaslan explained, "Let me explain, Mr. Ahmet. The people of Keçiören are quite satisfied with our practice. The people of Keçiören are incredibly happy that these things are being done. Everyone is applauding. İsmail Bey, on the other hand, is trying to water down our work with his statements against this. We say that the people of Keçiören would react to this. That's what we mean."
İsmail Dükel responded to Özaslan's explanation, saying, "Look, ask 100 people on the street, 99 of them will say it's a threat. The 1% are those who think like you. You cannot threaten me. I walk around Keçiören, and I walk anywhere I want in Ankara. You cannot threaten me."
"DON'T DRAG THE ISSUE ELSEWHERE"
Özaslan also said, "Oh, drop the threat, don't drag the issue elsewhere." Dükel said, "You are the one dragging it elsewhere, Mr. Mayor! The threat is 'You cannot walk around Keçiören with this mindset'."
'What will happen if I wander around?' he said.
Ahmet Hakan then intervened again and said to Dükel, 'Nothing will happen, what could happen? They will say, "We do not agree with your view, Mr. Ismail," that's all.'
Özaslan replied, 'Why are you afraid of criticism? Won't anyone say anything to you?' Upon this, Dükel said, 'That's what I mean. On the ground where I am speaking, you can object to me. But you cannot drag the discussion to another ground by threatening me. This is also against the etiquette of discussion. This is against all kinds of etiquette. How can that be?'