Özel's statement on the cancellation of Ekrem İmamoğlu's diploma: 'It has not been served'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel visited Council of State President Zeki Yiğit in his office.

Following the visit, the highlights from Özel's press statement are as follows:

"We paid a belated courtesy visit to our Council of State President, Mr. Zeki Yiğit. As you know, we had visited our Constitutional Court President and our Court of Cassation President, but this visit was delayed due to Turkey's extraordinary agenda and the unusually intense schedule that you have all been following closely. We have visited the President.

All 3 people in our delegation are law school graduates. They are colleagues of the President. This is a visit made with the feelings that high judiciary, judicial security in Turkey, the high need for it, and the importance of institutions rather than individuals are at the center.

The Council of State is one of the oldest, most deep-rooted, and strongest high judicial institutions in the world in terms of high administrative judicial bodies, along with its counterpart in France. In that sense, we paid a visit that points to the history, culture, existence, and importance of the institution.

"IT HAS BEEN 1 MONTH SINCE İMAMOĞLU'S DIPLOMA WAS CANCELLED"

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the President for his hospitality. Sir, we had a question. Today marks exactly 1 month since İmamoğlu's diploma was cancelled. That process is ongoing.

We did not approach this meeting as one where heated debates or issues that have been the subject of the judiciary would be evaluated with our Council of State President. That would not be right. However, today marks the 1st month of the diploma's cancellation, and we are still waiting on this matter.

"THE DIPLOMA HAS NOT BEEN CANCELLED AT THIS MOMENT"

Because the diploma has not been cancelled at this moment. They said they cancelled the diploma, but they did not serve it. When they serve it, we will apply to the administrative judicial authorities within hours or days for the cancellation of this unlawful act. However, while this could have been cancelled by the institution that issued the diploma, I am not even going into the essence of the matter, the application made in accordance with a newspaper advertisement given 35 years ago, the fact that the diploma was issued 31 years ago, that the holders of those diplomas have been practicing their professions and duties with those diplomas for 31 years, and that these could have secondary or tertiary consequences.

For example, a person who received a diploma at the same time and whose diploma was cancelled is a valuable professor of ours who graduates students as a PhD holder from Galatasaray University Faculty of Business Administration and Sorbonne University. In this case, the diplomas of the students they graduated will start to be questioned.

When you look at it only from a formal perspective without going into this content, while the issuing institution could have cancelled it, we are talking about a cancellation made by the Istanbul University Board of Directors—a body that is not the institution that issued the diploma, not the senate, but a board of directors that is quite politically shaped—on a Tuesday evening at iftar time, while this meeting was to be handled on Wednesday at noon.

"THEIR ACTION IS SO FLAWED, SO PROBLEMATIC"

The work they have done is so flawed, so problematic, so problematic that they cannot write it down and serve it. We are at a point where you have to serve it so that I can seek my rights in a state of law against it. They cannot do that. Of course, we are at the exact 1st month of this today, and the Council of State is the pinnacle of administrative judiciary in Turkey. However, I cannot say that we spoke about anything specific to this issue with the President. There is no such situation, but this is the answer to your question given by me.

"SELÇUK KOZAĞAÇLI CARRIED OUT THE SOMA CASE TOGETHER WITH CAN ATALAY WITHOUT TAKING A PENNY"

Selçuk Kozağaçlı is the person who carried out that case together with Can Atalay without demanding a single penny, look, while 301 of our children lost their lives in the Manisa Soma case, Turkey's best criminal lawyers got into their most expensive jeeps and came. They talked about various things there. Without demanding a single penny, without demanding a single penny. Therefore, we, as the victims in Soma and those whose hearts ache for this issue, are satisfied with him.

A very correct decision had been made in the Soma case at first. Then the Council of State, I correct myself, the Court of Cassation upheld this decision 5-0. Someone intervened in that chamber at the Court of Cassation, changed 3 of its members, appealed again, and this time they overturned the Soma case 3 to 2, and that decision that broke all of our hearts came out. They served 5 days for each person they killed, got out, and were saved.

"TWO VALIANT LAWYERS ARE IN PRISON FROM THE SOMA CASE: ATALAY AND KOZAĞAÇLI"

There is no one currently inside from the Soma case. Remember that night. Everyone cried for 1 month in front of their televisions saying, "May our hearts dry up if we forget," but 2 people are in prison from the Soma case. Two brave, valiant lawyers: Selçuk Kozağaçlı and Can Atalay. Mr. Selçuk was released after 8 years of detention because they had already kept him for more than 5 months according to the execution law, but they even objected to this. Now someone is trying to make him serve the remaining time.

The mind that governs this country constantly puts pressure on the judiciary and ignores the nation's sense of justice, sets its face against consciences, and makes unlawful and unjust decisions. I can only say this.

STERN REACTION TO THE RE-ARREST OF SELÇUK KOZAĞAÇLI

Selçuk Kozağaçlı did nothing to deserve this. The real ones who deserve it, the real criminals, drug barons, hitmen, those who have young politicians shot in Ankara as they leave Friday prayers, are walking around freely, but they keep the defenders of the Soma case, the defenders of any social case in Turkey, inside out of spite. He has served 8 years, they are trying to make him serve 7 more months. They are truly heartless.

ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DECISION REGARDING CAN ATALAY READ IN PARLIAMENT

Mr. Özdağ, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Gülizar Biçer Karaca had the Constitutional Court decision regarding Can Atalay read at the last Parliament session, but a statement also came from Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş. He announced that it should not have been done without the Parliament Speaker's results, that it was against the Rules of Procedure, and that he would impose sanctions. Can we get your assessment? First of all, the Parliament Speaker is an experienced politician, an experienced jurist, but the Parliament Speaker probably does not know this. This parliament is not managed by hand notes given by laws and decisions as it was placed during the AK Party era. Go way back in history for this parliament.

Come up to the AK Party era. If deputy speakers of parliament want to request the note they will use to manage the parliament from the laws and decisions, they can, or they can prepare it themselves, and managing it in accordance with the constitution and the Rules of Procedure is the authority of the deputy speaker of parliament. If the Parliament Speaker says, "No, there is no such authority. It will be managed within the limits I draw, as I say," then he will come and manage the parliament every day.

It is not possible for the parliament to be managed by one party every day, but the elected speaker, thinking that he will act impartially, can come and manage the parliament every day if he wishes. If he is not going to manage it and is going to distribute this authority, he will manage it through deputy speakers of parliament who are proposed by the parties and elected by the General Assembly within a certain rule. When a deputy speaker of parliament sits in that chair, their primary responsibility is to the constitution and the Rules of Procedure. They are not under the administrative or political tutelage of the Parliament Speaker. The Parliament Speaker, you all know, we all know. Go ask. 90% of today's Court of Cassation thinks the same. It is not possible for a 1st-instance court to resist a Constitutional Court decision. It resisted.

More precisely, it is not possible for it not to comply, it did not comply. In the application made upon this, the Constitutional Court said, "You will comply with this decision, you cannot resist." It is also written in the constitution that this decision is binding for the parliament, the judiciary, and the executive. I am not in a position to decipher our bilateral legal field with the Parliament Speaker now, but the Parliament Speaker also knows what he thinks about this matter, his conscience knows. They were saying, "We will produce a solution to this matter."

"ON WHAT GROUNDS ARE YOU NOT HAVING IT READ!"

We were rebelling against this to the Chairman of the TİP, the Workers' Party of Turkey, right after the election, in the break that would be given, that is, in July, until the election went on recess and went to October 1, while there was not even a 2nd Constitutional Court decision yet, they were saying, "Hopefully, he will produce a solution." So much time has passed, the elected deputy is inside. The decision has come out, it says, "Have it read." On what grounds are you not having it read, on what grounds? You will have this decision read so that it will enter into process. You will not prevent the decision from being read with bullying. You will not prevent the decision from being read with instructions. The evil mind that governs the state will ignore the Constitutional Court, and you will try to comply with it as a jurist, as a parliament speaker. Then you will say, "Why did you comply with the one who complied?" Parliament Speaker Gülizar Biçer Karaca has saved even the Parliament Speaker from a historical and legal responsibility with this action she took.

TO KURTULMUŞ: ARE YOU A PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER?

We are defending the constitutional order. They are cutting the branch they are sitting on. That is why Ms. Gülizar has fulfilled her historical and legal responsibility in her parliament, in the Parliament Speakership. She did what was right. The crooked cannot say to the straight, "Why are you straight?" He will look at himself and say, "Why am I crooked?" Also, he said he would impose sanctions. I don't know what sanctions there are. It is not written anywhere that he can impose a sanction. Also, a sanction is something that can be done and applied against a crime, against a fault. If there is a fault, there is the fault he has committed to this day. Who decides on this sanction? Are you a primary school teacher? Does a primary school teacher weigh what he teaches on his own conscience scale, does he warn his student? He does. This place is neither a primary school nor is Numan Kurtulmuş a primary school teacher, the principal of a primary school.

No one can impose sanctions on anyone alone like that. Other than that, "Let me do this there, let me do that here, let me take advantage of my majority to do this," I do not recommend it at all. I said it yesterday too. When Mr. Numan came to ask for my support for 2 years, I said, "We will nominate a candidate this time. Manage fairly for 2 years, let us support you next time." Our only demand is equality. Parliament speakers do their duty in England. If the opposition is convinced of their impartiality, they do not nominate a candidate against them in the constituency, in the narrow district. What a great honor. I also said to Mr. Numan: "Manage for 2 years, let us not nominate a candidate against you.".

And now, what they have done to this day is already obvious. Now, if he continues this partisan attitude, this attitude with instructions clearly, the matter is solved in a way. Solved in a way. If he tries to take a position against this, I am sorry, but from now on, I will also take a position against him.

"ERDOĞAN DECLARED WAR: WE DID NOT START IT"

I have never lacked in mutual love or respect. I saw his election as Parliament Speaker as an opportunity, even though we did not vote for him. He is someone open to dialogue. Sir, he comes from a completely different culture. He is someone who does not come from the standard codes of the AK Party, but from the codes of the Has Party. He represents another side of the National View. I don't know, he is someone who has had different expressions about corruption and bad management in the past. I was expecting him to invite the AK Party to reason, conscience, and honor. The AK Party is pulling him towards irrationality and heartlessness. That is why Erdoğan declared war. We did not start it, he started it. The struggle continues. I have seen the declaration of the executive, and I have seen the picture of the executive, so will I not see the one of Numan Kurtulmuş at the head of the legislature?

"WE WILL ALL PULL OURSELVES TOGETHER"

We will all pull ourselves together. We will all pull ourselves together. Turkey does not need these types of conflicts. It does not need these types of tensions. The people of Hatay will choose, some punk will not shake things up there. The Constitutional Court will make a decision, the punk will resist. The Constitutional Court will make a decision, everyone will remain silent about this lawlessness with instructions. He who remains silent about this lawlessness is a godless devil.

"FROM NOW ON, EVERYONE WILL DO THEIR OWN DUTY"

That is all I am saying. From now on, everyone will do their own duty. There is no need to panic or anything like that. The nation stands behind everyone who stands correctly, properly, consistently, and in accordance with the law, Mr. Numan. It stands behind everyone. You are at a critical point in history, and we will see whether you will do your duty according to the law or according to the law suggested by the AK Party. Sir, I had two questions.

"I WISH INFLATION WOULD FALL VERY QUICKLY"

If things are going well in a country, if the economy is going well, interest rates should be falling in that country. In this country, after the pandemic, while the whole world was experiencing an inflation problem and the measure to be taken against this was to give interest slightly above inflation, and the whole world was doing this, Erdoğan said, "I know, I do." He said, "Nass." He said, "Interest is forbidden," and he did not raise interest rates. The interest rates that did not rise exposed us to inflation exceeding 100%. Inflation of over 80% even according to TÜİK. Inflation ruined all of us, the middle class. Everyone became impoverished. Our retirees are struggling, our minimum wage earners are working below the hunger threshold. We are all miserable, and this country is suffering great difficulties. Then, after the election, they brought Mehmet Şimşek and said, "What was done in the past was irrational, wrong, erroneous," and they tried to raise interest rates rapidly to a certain point and keep inflation at a certain level, just as the whole world did 3 years ago, and pull it down gradually.

It was coming down step by step. I wish it would fall very quickly. We want to live in a country where inflation is falling. We want zero inflation. They were not very successful, but they had started to lower interest rates, even if a little. This was causing inflation to fall, even if a little. The figures were not real, but while it was coming from 80 to 50s, 49s according to TÜİK, it was coming down from 120s to 80s according to ENAG. What did they do? If they thought about the nation, the retiree, the worker, the civil servant, the farmer, they would not have made that nass mistake 3 years ago, but at this point, Erdoğan, in order to get rid of Ekrem İmamoğlu, by having his diploma cancelled in his own mind, by sticking a label of supporting a terrorist organization falsely, by filing unusual lawsuits, and by taking Ekrem İmamoğlu and clicking him into prison, by putting him in Silivri, they said to the whole world: "Hey world, we have no concern like good management.".

News Source: 12punto