27.03.2025 17:04
Ümit Özdağ, the leader of the Victory Party, made a statement announcing that he would begin a hunger strike. Özdağ said, "Starting today, I have decided not to accept the meals from the Silivri Prison administration until the indictment goes to court. I will have enough food in my room to survive. We are not enemies. We do not deserve to be treated like enemies or to be subjected to the practices of enemy criminal law."
Victory Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ announced in a written statement made from Silivri Prison that he has started a hunger strike, stating that he will not accept food from the prison administration during the last three days of Ramadan. Özdağ emphasized that he demands justice and that he should not be treated like an enemy in prison.
ÜMIT ÖZDAĞ STARTS HUNGER STRIKE IN PRISON
Ali Yenişehirlioğlu, Deputy Chairman of the Victory Party, visited Ümit Özdağ, the Chairman of the Victory Party, in Silivri Prison. After the visit, Yenişehirlioğlu stated, "We felt the need to make a statement regarding the speculations that arose especially after the emergence of this issue of hunger strike. I am sharing these with you in his own handwriting," and read Özdağ's statement.
"I WILL NOT ACCEPT FOOD FROM THE PRISON ADMINISTRATION UNTIL THE INDICTMENT GOES TO COURT"
Özdağ's statement is as follows: "Today is the 65th day in Silivri Penitentiary Institution. All documents that will be included in the file have been submitted. Although the document expected from the Kayseri Provincial Police Department was submitted to the file on March 24, the indictment has not been submitted to the court. Even if I had received the maximum sentence of 3 years for this crime, I would not have spent this much time in prison. From today until the indictment goes to court, I have decided not to accept food from the Silivri Prison administration. I will break my fast and have my pre-dawn meal with the supplies I have obtained from the canteen in my cell during the remaining last three days of Ramadan. I will not accept food from the prison administration during Eid and afterwards, and I will eat just enough from the food in my room to survive. We are not enemies. We do not deserve to be treated like enemies or to endure the applications of enemy criminal law. We only want one single application of law. Do not let the hatred you feel towards us push you to act unjustly; be fair."
In response to journalists' question, "Who has Ümit Özdağ met with since İmamoğlu's arrest?" Yenişehirlioğlu said, "Every day a lot of people come in. Especially there are deputies from the Republican People's Party. Naturally, there are deputies from other parties as well. Various lawyers are coming in. Today, after this news broke, Mr. Mustafa Sarıgül's statement made everyone start to wonder where this hunger strike came from. Yes, maybe there is indeed such a thing, but as my teacher said, 'I will eat just enough to survive.' He does not accept the food that the prison and detention center administration will provide. In that regard, the prison administration has already held a meeting. However, the teacher has explained his reasons very clearly to them," he replied.