BREAKING NEWS... Özgür Özel speaks from Silivri following the İmamoğlu ruling: He recalled Zekeriya Öz

A verdict has been reached in the case against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and CHP Presidential Candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu. İmamoğlu was acquitted of the charge of targeting Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek. However, he was sentenced to over one year in prison due to convictions for threats and insults. In line with this decision, the process for a political ban against İmamoğlu has officially begun. The decision will be taken to the appellate court and subsequently to the Court of Cassation.

ÖZEL'S HARSH OUTBURST IN SILIVRI

Following the ruling, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel visited İmamoğlu in Silivri and made notable statements in front of the cameras outside the prison.

Özel said, "Today, the court did not allow the victimization that Akın Gürlek created himself. İmamoğlu was acquitted in the case opened on the grounds that he 'targeted a person who took part in the fight against terrorism.' In other words, it turned out that the crime was not committed. But they wanted to initiate a political ban process by giving a two-month sentence for threats and over a year for insults."

Increasing the intensity of his words, Özel targeted the government through examples of past judicial cases:

"The powerful of today, the spoiled of today, should think about the future of this business. Not everyone can flee across the border like the Zekeriya Öz of the past. There are also those who lie here. There is no guarantee that those who inflict this oppression on us today will not be tried here tomorrow."

Highlights from Özel's speech are as follows:

- One day I will come out and explain it name by name, piece by piece; let's see if you will be able to look your children in the face. You will come to your senses. I will become your nightmare and enter your dreams. Has there ever been anything that Özgür Özel promised and did not do?

- Am I going to leave the honor and dignity of my friends to you? You dug up a man's field like a mole at his age; what did you find?

- You had a setup orchestrated against the baklava maker, didn't you? A lightbulb came out from under the baklava. This case is empty, completely empty... Mayor Ekrem called. Even if everyone signs the texts you want them to use to slander Mayor Ekrem, won't you eventually write that indictment? Won't it fall apart piece by piece, and won't we prove it? Eventually, innocence will come to light.

- It turned out that Ahmet Özer has been lying here for 260 days for nothing. Why, 260 days ago, when Abdullah Öcalan was in Imralı in Turkey, saying 'Ahmet Özer is a valuable person' required being a PKK member? They arrested Ahmet Özer because he made a condolence call 260 days ago and said, 'Your mother raised a valuable child like you,' because one of the siblings was in the mountains, they said, 'You called a terrorist a valuable child.' 260 days later—I am not saying this to criticize a valuable post—Mr. Fethi Yıldız began to refer to Ahmet Özer's wise personality. Ahmet Özer was acquitted of being a PKK member. He is currently inside, imprisoned for being a CHP member. There is not the slightest side to defend regarding Ahmet Özer being imprisoned inside. Getting him out of there as soon as possible is a requirement of conscience. It is also a requirement of justice. It is also a requirement of morality.

- Because he did what he had to do regarding the diploma cancellation case in the administrative judiciary, they dispersed the committee to all four corners of Turkey because he asked the university for information and documents and established a good interim ruling. In Büyükçekmece, the prosecutor has not given an opinion for the fifth time in a thousand days, holding it in hand so the case does not end. They said, 'Maybe we can do it from here,' and they were disgraced. The 'fool' case in the appellate court, which should normally take one year, is heading toward two and a half years and is still not being heard.

Reacting to the stock videos used in the operations, Özel said, "If you are going to show a stock video, show a monkey. Why are you showing dollars as if money came out of the house, you liars and frauds." Reminding that İmamoğlu's diploma case was separated from 28 people, Özel said, "The mind that applies a statute of limitations to crimes against humanity in Turkey says, 'There is no statute of limitations for crimes against Erdoğan.' What is the crime? The crime of removing Erdoğan from the presidency through the ballot box. The crime of winning four consecutive elections against Erdoğan, the crime of scaring Erdoğan politically. The crime of keeping Erdoğan awake at night. There is no statute of limitations for this crime. We are waging this struggle together with our friends in such an atmosphere. All of them have better morale than I do, and let this be a trouble for you. The righteous and the innocent have morale. Slanderers, blackmailers, and conspirators are demoralized," he said.

News Source: 12punto