Ahmet Özer: 'A madman threw a stone into the well, and forty wise men are trying to get it out'

Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, who was arrested and sent to prison as part of an investigation launched against him, made statements regarding the process he is going through. Özer stated that he sees himself as a 'political prisoner'.

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Ahmet Özer: 'A madman threw a stone into the well, and forty wise men are trying to get it out'

Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, who was arrested and sent to prison as part of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, spoke to Furkan Karabay from Gazete Duvar about the process he is going through. Özer said, "A madman threw a stone into the well, and forty wise men are trying to get it out. But as you can see, it is not very possible to explain one's troubles in these matters."

Ahmet Özer, whose membership in an organization was cited as evidence in the referral for arrest based on Abdullah Öcalan mentioning him, said regarding the meetings in Imralı, "No one contacted me. I had no contribution whatsoever."

Özer also used the expression, "Ekrem İmamoğlu has applied to the Ministry of Justice to visit me. If he is granted permission, having the opportunity to meet him would make me extremely happy."

The questions asked to Ahmet Özer and his answers are as follows:

"Question: What was the thing that surprised you the most in your prison life, did you experience or witness an event that shocked you?"

Prison is a place you are not used to and would not want to get used to. Still, the prison has its own unique order. Everything is surprisingly routine. Since my daughter Seraf is a lawyer, I can go to lawyer meetings every day. Also, acquaintances or CHP lawyers come to visit me every day. This is a very valuable opportunity for those staying in this prison. The most interesting thing is encountering people you might never come across in your life during lawyer meetings. I don't want to give names, but in the lawyer meeting rooms separated only by a glass, you find yourself side by side with many people, from those accused of defrauding football players to FETÖ suspects and foreigners described as drug lords. This is one of the most interesting and surprising moments of prison life. There is also an opportunity to greet people like Osman Kavala, Can Atalay, and Tayfun Kahraman, who are unjustly in prison due to the Gezi Park trial, from behind the glass wall.

Question: "After July 15, 2016, the way was paved for the appointment of trustees to municipalities via Statutory Decrees. Later, trustees were appointed to BDP, HDP, and DEM Party municipalities. A trustee was also appointed to a CHP municipality through a political operation. Were you expecting such an operation?"

To tell you the truth, I was not expecting it. I must express that I find an accusation like terrorism to be very unserious. I became a candidate to serve Esenyurt and took office with the will of the people. Even those who criticized me during this process always emphasized how hard I worked. I acted with the aim of completing work that could be spread over 5 years in 1 year and always producing more service. As a matter of fact, in a short period of 7 months, we signed off on major works and projects in Esenyurt and solved problems that had become a Gordian knot for years. I did nothing but work with superhuman effort. I was removed from my position as Esenyurt Mayor with an unfair practice, and I am in prison again unlawfully. This means punishing not only me but all the people of Esenyurt who voted for me.

Question: "Do you think you have been given enough support from both your circle and your party during the detention and arrest processes? Were there moments when you felt left alone?"

I was never left alone in prison. My loved ones always made me feel that they trusted and believed in me. Our Chairman Özgür Özel visited me twice within a month. In addition, I am visited by one, or even several, members of parliament almost every day. Furthermore, my party's district organizations participate in the trustee protests in Esenyurt in my absence, creating awareness. This process showed me that I have a big family. I am grateful to all of them; I always felt strong with them.

Question: "How was the prosecutor's attitude during the interrogation, he mentioned that he had read your book..."

He had a polite attitude. I did not see any disrespect. But respect is not enough, of course. You expect legal professionals to act in accordance with this notion. I don't think he even believes in what he wrote in the referral for arrest. Because whichever lawyer I ask, they express with an open heart that there is no evidence commensurate with the crimes I am accused of. The weight of politics on the judiciary is appearing before us more painfully every day. What I am experiencing is actually a manifestation of this.

Question: "In the Imralı transcripts, your name is mentioned during the meeting with Öcalan. This is also referred to in the referral for arrest. How do you evaluate the fact that your name being mentioned in meetings where state officials and even intelligence were involved is shown as one of the reasons for your arrest?"

Believe me, I know nothing about this. I have no idea who said my name, what they said, or why they said it. No document or paper regarding this was ever put in front of me. I am not even aware if there is an official transcript regarding this. A madman threw a stone into the well, and forty wise men are trying to get it out. But as you can see, it is not very possible to explain one's troubles in these matters.

Question: "People in prison usually think about why they were arrested. Have you thought about this? Why do you think you were targeted?"

I am the elected mayor of Esenyurt. I received votes from all segments. Not only from the base of the CHP and DEM Party, but also AK Party voters who were uncomfortable with the government's actions voted for me. This is a very valuable thing for me. They voted for my political and academic reputation as much as the party I belong to. From the day I was elected until the day I was removed from office, the only thing I did was work day and night, sometimes 18 hours a day. We were feeling the response to this in society more than enough. After taking office, we also put an end to waste. We stopped waste projects that had spent billions of TL in the past. All of this bothered some people. I see myself as a 'political prisoner'. However, political imprisonment is temporary. One day, justice will be served, and we will return to serving the people. Those days are not very far because I do not believe that this case has a basis of legitimacy in the eyes of the public."

On the other hand, Ahmet Özer said that he heard from his fellow members of parliament who came to visit him that the trustee appointed to Esenyurt Municipality brought names close to the AKP, especially for director appointments. Stating that the new administration also restarted the "waste projects" they had finished, Özer said, "Also, they announce the projects that we made ready for opening as if they had done them themselves by tweeting 'We are opening soon'. For example, if this political operation had not been carried out against us, the 'Retiree House' that we would have opened together with Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu on November 7, 2024... Also, the trustee requested that a resource to be used in service be transferred from the IMM to human resources. I am, of course, questioning what is intended to be achieved with this budget transfer, which is intended to be made in the last month of the year and corresponds to almost 1/10 of the Esenyurt budget."

News Source: 12punto