Breaking News: Özgür Özel speaks on investigations into CHP municipalities! 'Mr. Tayyip could not fully establish the perception he wanted'

Following the investigation into irregular spending opened against the Ankara and Istanbul metropolitan municipalities, the Beykoz Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an inquiry into allegations of irregular spending regarding 3 concert organizations by Beykoz Municipality and the process of Beykoz 1908 AŞ purchasing the rights to Tuzlaspor to play in the TFF 2nd League under the name Beykoz Anadolu Spor AŞ.

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel made statements regarding the investigations launched into CHP-run municipalities.

Our Chairman Özgür Özel is making a statement at our Headquarters. https://t.co/O5pHPINT9v

— CHP ???? (@herkesicinCHP) November 14, 2024

In his statement, Özgür Özel said, "We do not see these developments as independent from the new constitution debate the government started after losing the local elections, the 'Israel will attack us' debate, the 'Let Öcalan come and speak in Parliament' debate, and the debate over the appointment of trustees to our Esenyurt Municipality and other municipalities."

Stating that "the primary goal is to punish the voters who voted for CHP municipalities," Özel said, "They keep turning and twisting, getting frantic, saying 'tie the hands of CHP municipalities.' It means saying, 'I am willing to risk a city's trash not being collected or a municipality's employees not being able to pay their rent just so I can be elected one more time.' As long as we can say 'these municipalities cannot do their jobs, they cannot manage the country' and people vote for me! We are facing such a cheap game.

They are trying to discredit us. The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality filed criminal complaints in 36 files. Ankara submitted 40 files. Manisa submitted 8 major corruption files. Nothing. They have been waiting for months.

The perception they are trying to create is obvious.

Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, 198 million for organization services. It was a camp, not a concert. They talk saying, 'I said they have concerts too.' My brother, there is an allegation. When this allegation is made against us, it is 70 million. Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, organization services 2023, 198 million. Ümraniye Municipality organization services 85 million, Konya 79 million. Is there an inspector in any of them? Are you sending inspectors to any of them?

Explain why concerts are not included in the austerity circular. Why are they not included?

Go and audit with integrity. But do not fabricate crimes with political instructions. We have no fear of being audited. Do not be a tool for political operations. This government is on its way out in this country. You can see the panic. If there is a crime, bring it to light. But do not struggle to invent crimes."

INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO MINISTRIES

Özel continued: "We know that instructions were given to the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Labor saying, 'Go to the CHP municipalities, find a crime, and if you cannot find one, fabricate one,' and we are living through these days."

Reacting to the government, Özgür Özel said, "Those who hide behind the ballot box for everything, we went to the scales, my brother! The nation decided; they gave you 20 percent of the population, and they gave us the authority to govern 65 percent. CHP manages 85 percent of the economy. The nation has made a decision; you will respect it, you will take it as an example, and if you practice good municipal governance, you will win elections."

They are trying to discredit us. We have not avoided any audit, and we will not. I am calling out to those who have not opened a single investigation into AK Party municipalities; the IMM filed criminal complaints with 36 files, nothing. Ankara Metropolitan Municipality applied with 40 files regarding the Melih Gökçek era, nothing.

Giving warnings to public officials, Özel said, "I am very respectful to the Court of Accounts; it acts on behalf of the Parliament. I am very respectful to the civil inspectors; they act on behalf of the state. If there is something where you go, find it and write it down. But I will not forget, and I will not let it be forgotten, that those who follow the instruction to 'stir things up, mix things up, and implicate them in crimes' are serving the AK Party, not the state. Go and audit with integrity, if there is dishonesty, bring it out. But do not try to invent crimes with dishonestly given political instructions," he said.

"THE PROSECUTOR IS FAHRETTİN ALTUN'S COUSIN"

Saying, "Either send them to all municipalities or do not make assignments specifically to fabricate crimes for CHP municipalities," Özel said the following regarding the investigation launched into Beykoz Municipality: "Mr. Barış Duman. Who is this Barış Duman? Fahrettin Altun's cousin... While there are so many prosecutors in Balıkesir, Başakşehir, Bursa, Sakarya, Sultangazi, Malatya... A prosecutor takes action, and that prosecutor turns out to be Fahrettin Altun's cousin. They are trying to commit character assassination."

"We will not let the citizen's unemployment and poverty be forgotten. Our 30 thousand minimum wage proposal is still valid. We have no account that cannot be given. If you take one more step from now on, I will tell of every kind of disgrace from your past. You cannot deceive this nation. I vouch for all of them."

RESPONSE TO NORMALIZATION

Responding to a journalist's question about normalization, Özel said:

"There is no such thing as the CHP normalizing with the government. Despite the malicious mind of this government, we are expressing the respect we have for the voters who elected it. Other than this, there were things this government did not do. Other than this, there were things this government did not do. Like not shaking hands at a martyr's funeral. If there is anyone in Anatolia who appreciates this, let's continue it. Like not providing information on any subject to the founding party of the country. If there is anyone who appreciates this in Anatolia, let them continue. We said this is what is normal. It is normal for Mr. Tayyip to come to this building (CHP Headquarters), to come and drink tea in the building where he said they would divide the homeland. I am defending this. I will continue to normalize with the nation to the end. We will continue to do what is normal to the end."

News Source: 12punto