Başarır's reaction to Gaziosmanpaşa: 'If you have any shame, don't sit in that seat'

CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ali Mahir Başarır made statements regarding the agenda at a press conference held in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).

Reacting to the posts made by Akit newspaper and its News Affairs Manager Zekeriya Say regarding Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, who passed away recently, Başarır said the following:

"We came here from Manisa with aching hearts and a huge lump in our throats. We are experiencing the great sorrow of losing our very precious friend, brother, and mayor, Ferdi Zeyrek. Yesterday, we bid farewell to him on his final journey alongside tens of thousands of Manisa residents and citizens who came from all over Turkey. First of all, I would like to thank his family, the political party representatives who supported us, our citizens, the very precious press, and the valuable citizens who called from all over Turkey during this process. I thank our hospital staff, our doctors, and the health ministers. We spent a very difficult 67 hours. Every minute, every second, we waited with hope, wondering if he would open his eyes, if he would show us that beautiful smile again, but it was not to be. To some, Mayor Ferdi was a brother in Manisa, to others an older brother, to some a nephew, to others an uncle, but the general consensus was that he was 'Manisa's father Ferdi.' He had earned this love in a one-year period. Actually, there was a very simple reason for this. Immediately after being elected mayor, he removed the doors and tore up the entry cards. He had said, 'The true owner of Manisa is the people of Manisa; I am just a trustee.' That is why he was so loved. Right-wingers, left-wingers, those who voted for us and those who didn't, everyone shed tears; our hearts burned. Goodbye, my brother, we will not forget you, we will not let you be forgotten. We will strive for the number of valuable mayors like you to increase from now on and for the friends who come after you to take you as an example.

An investigation has been launched into the incident, and we will follow it. Our citizens ask a lot, but there were some posts and some news during this 67-hour process that hurt all of us. As breaking news, Akit reported, 'Manisa Metropolitan Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek was struck.' Our hearts burned. What is the need for this? Which conscientious citizen of the Republic of Turkey could do this? No matter which party they are from, could they do this to such a father, to such a mayor? Yesterday, again, Akit's News Affairs Manager Zekeriya Say… Akit becomes a pen, slander, and Akit strikes someone. Weren't you ashamed at all, didn't you feel any embarrassment? Does a human being make such a report, such a post? No matter which party you are from, no matter who you are, if you weren't ashamed of your humanity, weren't you even ashamed before his three daughters? I am calling out to the prosecutors in this country: While you open investigations into newspapers and television channels that appear to be in opposition in every way and at every moment, there has still been no breaking news about an investigation being opened into this person and newspaper that gave this isolated, this vile image. Why? Is it a crime to be in the opposition in this country? Are we committing a crime, are we doing something bad? We have a funeral; can such a post be made for a young child, for someone whom everyone appreciates? Even if it was made, are we not going to judge this evil? Unfortunately, we are not judging it, and the evil continue their evil. Let no one make such a post about anyone just because they think differently. Human values, party leaders, and the President called, but let this evil not go unpunished."

"I INVITE ALL OUR CITIZENS TO PROTECT HALK TV"

Making statements regarding the arrest warrant issued for Halk TV owner Cafer Mahiroğlu, Başarır said the following:

"Yesterday, an arrest warrant was issued for Halk TV owner Cafer Mahiroğlu. Organized crime organization leader Aziz İhsan Aktaş gave a statement. In his statement, as far as I understand, he says exactly this: 'Yusuf Yadoğlu, Remzi Baka, and Cafer Mahiroğlu have become partners in these projects.' The maintenance tender for IETT vehicles. As far as I know, who won these tenders? Aziz İhsan Aktaş won them. An operation has been carried out for 24 years in this country against the owner of Halk TV regarding a tender he won himself. Why are you issuing an arrest warrant? Nowhere in the world is a person who is caught and arrested as an organized crime leader released, and then people taken in based on his statement. Today, we reached new information. Selling electronic cigarettes is prohibited in Turkey. It is alleged that Aziz İhsan Aktaş, together with the Iranian drug baron you all know, brought and marketed electronic cigarettes illegally in Turkey, and people say that the prosecutor is threatening them with this. Are you the Chief Public Prosecutor of Istanbul, or are you someone who tries to threaten people with mafia techniques and make them give statements against the opposition and opposition figures? Who is Aziz İhsan Aktaş, how many times has he given you a statement, and what function does this person have in the electronic cigarette market in Turkey? You arrested our mayors with this person's statement. Now it's Halk TV's turn. First the municipalities, then our party, now television channels. A planned coup plan spread over time is being systematically implemented in Turkey. Yesterday, all the journalists in the pool media were saying, 'Halk TV will be seized.' No, millions will react to this.

An arrest warrant was issued for Cafer Mahiroğlu for the crime of rigging a tender, because he won a tender. Why do we call a group of newspapers and television channels pool media? Because they are bought with money poured into the pool by companies that receive large tenders from this state. Isn't Kalyon, the state's largest contractor, the biggest partner of the pool media? The company you give a tender to buys a television channel, and there is nothing wrong with it. Well, how was the Doğan Media Group bought? A loan equivalent to nearly 2 billion dollars today was given from Ziraat Bank, the Demirören Group bought these channels with this loan, and they didn't pay a single cent of it. In the State Economic Enterprise (KİT) reports, it was determined that Ziraat Bank and Vakıfbank abused their duties, and there is not a single investigation. An arrest warrant was issued for the owner of Halk TV based on the statement of a crime organization leader who said, 'As far as I heard.' Shame on you. We must all resist this coup together. I invite all our citizens to protect Halk TV."

"THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT A COUP IS"

Reacting to the arrest of CHP's Istanbul district mayors and political party leaders, Başarır stated that the government is carrying out a coup through the judiciary, and continued as follows:

"Our presidential candidate, Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, is still in prison. While we are fighting for his release, our mayors are being taken away based on the statements of guilty, dirty people. Today, an election was held in the Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality. A mayor elected by the people was thrown into prison with dirty decisions. A mayor chosen by an unqualified majority sat in the seat. If you have any shame or honor, don't sit in that seat, because the people of Gaziosmanpaşa did not elect you. Throwing someone who came through an election into prison... You were going to abolish the tutelage, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. When your mayorship fell in '93, how did Ali Müfit Gürtuna come to power? The Welfare Party was in the minority, but they said 'democracy' and elected him. Now you have become the biggest tutelage supporter, the biggest coup plotter. Let everyone see the disgrace happening in Gaziosmanpaşa. This is exactly what a coup is. It is a coup carried out by law, by the judiciary.

People are being taken away; people who have dedicated their lives to science and their profession are being taken away. One of them is Dr. İpek Elif Atayman. She was arrested and stayed in a cell for 3 days. Then she was put in a ward, which was not liked. She was taken on a 7.5-hour journey in a small vehicle with handcuffs on her wrists, until her wrists were bleeding. She was given a slice of bread. She went to Afyonkarahisar. She slept on the floor for days. I am describing a torture in this century. What is your hatred, your grudge? Can this be done to a woman, a doctor, a scientist? Are you not ashamed at all? The Minister of Justice said, 'I heard, I was saddened.' Don't be saddened, you created this. Don't be saddened, judge those who did this. He was saddened; her wrists could have been cut, she could have died of hunger. In the history of the Republic of Turkey, a woman has never been left hungry for 7.5 hours with her wrists handcuffed and given only a slice of bread. You did this. What conscience, what belief could require you to do this? The Minister of Justice gave good news; he gave her a bunk bed. This is the state we are in. The only reason for this is the success in the March 31 elections, that we became the first party. These are operations against the party, tortures carried out to control the opposition, but we will not be discouraged, we will not get tired, we will not bend even a millimeter. Because if the opposition collapses, the country will collapse.

"THE MONSTER THAT CAME OUT OF THE BALLOT BOX..."

Why has Ümit Özdağ been in prison for months? He is also one of the presidential candidates. One presidential candidate has been effectively determined, one has become a presidential candidate, Selahattin Demirtaş, and the other is likely to be, Ümit Özdağ, is in prison. Leaders did not stay in prison for such a long time during the '80 coup. The monster that came out of the ballot box is trying to swallow them too, but we will be in pursuit of democracy, law, and justice, and we will not surrender our will to that monster."

News Source: 12punto