Breaking News: Özgür Özel reacts sharply to 'mainstream media' regarding the investigation into İmamoğlu! 'Either you will be impartial, or from now on we are on the opposing side!'

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel made striking statements regarding the investigations launched against Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) President Ekrem İmamoğlu.

CHP leader Özel exposed the perception created by media outlets close to the government regarding the operations.

Özel stated that Serdar Haydanlı, who was detained on March 19, was presented as a "key figure" by pro-government media, but that Haydanlı was "released from the branch office" on the day he was detained.

Stating that media outlets close to the government removed their reports about Haydanlı from their websites, Özel said that Haydanlı is actually a person with close ties to the government.

Speaking in Saraçhane, Özel noted the following:

"We are in this iconic place of Istanbul. The will of the people of Istanbul is entrusted to whoever they want to govern Istanbul through local elections, and that mandate is received and transferred in Saraçhane. During the July 15 coup attempt, those who wanted to seize the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality also headed to Saraçhane.

That is why the last elected mayor of Istanbul, and in the last three elections—one of which was repeated in 2019 because of an inability to accept the decision, with the message 'You made this decision, but I do not recognize it, think again'—the people of Istanbul went to the polls three times. They pulled the curtain, put their hands on their conscience, and stamped the seal on Ekrem İmamoğlu.

They said, 'We want you to govern this city.' Yet, for 25 years until that day, it was governed by Tayyip Erdoğan and those he appointed and proposed to the people of Istanbul."

Votes were cast for the candidates appointed by Mr. Tayyip to himself or those he recommended to the people of Istanbul. In Tayyip Erdoğan's own words, he said, 'We betrayed Istanbul.' For example, when Mr. Tayyip arrived, there were only 4 skyscrapers in Istanbul. Currently, there are 235 skyscrapers. And almost all of them were licensed during the term of Mr. Tayyip and his appointees. These are described as daggers plunged into the heart of Istanbul. From time to time, there is talk of spoiling the city's silhouette.

For instance, when one of these was built and there was a lot of backlash, Mr. Tayyip fell out with the person who built it. It was someone very close to him, he fell out. Because he said, 'Trim it,' and he said, 'I won't trim it.' He was stubborn. He fell out with him. Then, may God rest her soul, when they built an İmam Hatip school and named it after his late mother, Tenzile Hanım, they reconciled.

The skyscraper is still there. The İmam Hatip is also still there. Now, Ekrem İmamoğlu, whom the people of Istanbul entrusted with this city—yesterday we were in Beylikdüzü. We were where this story began. There are two politicians who love using football metaphors: our current President and the next President. One says, 'I am a good football player.' He even says, 'I have never received a red card.' Then it turns out, by his own admission, that he has.

And one says, 'I don't concede goals, I am a goalkeeper, I am a good goalkeeper.' Sometimes he says, 'I also score goals.' We were in Beylikdüzü, where Ekrem İmamoğlu scored his first goal against Tayyip Erdoğan. And after that, as you know, he scored the first goal, and then he scored a hat-trick. He defeated him three more times in a row.

In Turkish politics, there are winners and losers. Mr. Tayyip was defeated in the Beyoğlu mayoral election. He was defeated in his parliamentary candidacy. Then, since he founded his party, he defeated us. We defeated him on March 31. There are winners, there are losers. So far, the only one who hasn't been defeated is Ekrem İmamoğlu.

In every election he entered, he defeated Mr. Tayyip and his appointees. Now, they are attacking that wrist they cannot bend with the cudgel of the judiciary. We have always said this.

That there is an unjust, unlawful act here. Of course, all the sentences I will use here will be sentences that will not compromise the confidentiality of an ongoing investigation that has a confidentiality order. But these are things that all our citizens need to know. Currently, 106 people are under arrest inside. There are such names that they even ask Mayor Ekrem, 'Do you know this person? Do you know that person?'

These people who are in custody are being asked about. We, too, are asking each other about some names, for example, 'Where did this come from? Who is this?' in this building. There are names we don't know. Now we understand. I am explaining it with full transparency. Whoever received a tender from the mentioned companies of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and whoever was the tender official in those companies, their names were taken and they were all rounded up from their homes.

If you proceed with this method, for example, you could write down four more company names and carry out an operation against 100 more people tomorrow. For instance, if you go to the Konya Metropolitan Municipality with this method, you could pick up 150 people there at the crack of dawn as well. There are no restrictions. Because those who signed off on the tender and all the executives of the company that won the tender are on our list, folks. Let anyone who says otherwise come forward. Let them call me, I will take the list and go to, for example, A Haber, let them ask and I will explain. In other words, the 106-person criminal organization is just a simple definition. Those who signed the tender, and even those who signed the tender are hierarchically above, because Mr. Ekrem has no signature on any of these companies or these tenders. Since you are at the top, you are the prime suspect, come on then.

Normally, mayors cannot be held responsible for any tender they did not sign or for which they were not authorized. If you hold them responsible, no mayor in Turkey could continue their duties. Because someone objects to every tender, and an investigation is opened. Let them be there every day. There are 325 auditors and 325 inspectors working at the IMM at the same time.

If the mayor were to answer every single question, who would do the work? One mayor is not enough for those inspectors. Let's not drag this out. For example, among these 106 people, there is this: A company that won a tender. When the owner of the company was setting it up, he needed 7 people. He wrote down his son, his brother-in-law, and they took them too. Right now, there are poor souls inside who don't know why they are there, who say, 'I don't know, when you ask what your brother-in-law was doing, he was doing some advertising work, I guess.' There are innocent people who say, 'My father is someone who gives outdoor advertisements, I don't know, I don't know who you worked with.' 22-year-old university students. They rounded them all up. Now, how are they going to be accused?

For God's sake, there is no evidence. You will see. They show it like this, but there is no evidence. There is a secret witness who will make the transactions suspicious. I will redact their name. For example, they didn't say anything to some of them. They can't even ask that kid a question.

Their only crime is being on the board of directors of some advertising company. The father wrote his son's name to fill the 7-person quota and took over the management. He wrote his brother-in-law's name. But there are serious accusations against some of them. Long questions need to be asked to them. Look, the secret witness story, I have to redact the name. The secret witness said, 'He is an official of a firm,' this is in parentheses. And the named person is issuing fake invoices. Now, if the secret witness says fake invoice, you will take this man, and you will also put the invoices there. When did you do this work? To whom did you do it?

You will ask where you got this money. This is a serious allegation. Now, secret witness, if you are going to get to the concrete facts here. You would say the invoices were fake. You invoiced work you didn't do. You invoiced goods you didn't deliver. Right, professor? This is important. And of course, rightfully so, on A Haber, where I said 'let them bring me out to speak,' they were asking who was doing the IMM's perception operations. Now, you are going to accuse someone of theft for the sake of perception and stir it up, or let me put it this way.

What could the IMM be creating a perception about? They will create a perception that roads used to be bad, but now traffic flows fast. They will stir this up. They call this a perception operation. They are doing these things. Can there be an invoice for this? There is no invoice for praising Ekrem İmamoğlu, right friends? There is no invoice for criticizing Tayyip Bey. This is a perception operation. You will issue another invoice for this. You will take the money, and you will do the perception. That's exactly it. That's how I understand it. I guess that's why they are being held. That name given by the secret witness was doing the perception operations. I have to redact their name. And that friend who does the perception operations is the key figure in the İmamoğlu investigation.

It says 'key figure' here. There are also pictures with İmamoğlu. And the name of this firm, this bad company doing the perception operation, is known; the company that takes money from Mr. Ekrem, for example, for a Republic Day ad and uses it for a perception operation, and the invoice it issues is the one the secret witness calls a fake invoice. If it's done this way, it's true. But this company is not such a disreputable company.

Look, our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a circular for the 100th-anniversary celebrations of the Republic, which he attaches great importance to, stating that agreements would be made with sponsoring companies deemed appropriate by the Directorate of Communications, and that they should be exempt from public procurement legislation so they can get the work done quickly without getting stuck in 100th-year regulations.

He issued such a circular. Our Communications Director, Mr. Fahrettin Altun, has also authorized a company with this authority, friends.

I suppose it wouldn't be a company that creates perceptions, right? It wouldn't be given to a bad company. Again, the person's name is hidden. The 4.5G company became the only company authorized for all transactions. Dear friends, our friend who owns this 4.5G company is a company that carries out the 'Century of Turkey' campaigns for the October 29th 100th-year events and receives billions of TL from all ministries and the Directorate of Communications.

And this friend of ours has been working at the İBB since 2015, even before the 2019 election. He was working during the AK Party era as well. He has a long-term contract. He worked steadily until the day it ended. He enters tenders and receives money. Now, they went to this friend's house at 6 in the morning and took him away, manhandling him in front of his children, friends. This is the person whom the Presidency also gives work to, and the İBB gives work to, but whom the secret witness claims issued fake invoices. Look, friends, this is the list of those apprehended at home. In custody, in custody, in custody. They say they arrested them. These were fugitives, these were found later. It was the first morning, you see. For example, Buğra Gökçe, the head of the IPA, our dear friend, was not found at home in the morning. They wrote 'fugitive'. Once found, it becomes 'in custody'.

This person was released from the police station. I mean, before the police even took him and put him in the detention cell, right? That's how I understand it. Yes. Released from the station. Good heavens. This person was released from the station. Look, well, since he is not inside, I cannot compromise the confidentiality of the investigation.

Let's reveal the name. The name is Serdar Haydanlı, released from the station. 'Why did you take him, son, let him go,' they said, and he was released from the station. Will you hold him, Mr. President? Sir, among all the accusations of the secret witness, he can't say anything about the child or the brother-in-law, but he says the person who issued the fake invoices is Serdar Haydanlı. There is no confidentiality, he is released from the station. Well, according to this news in Sabah newspaper, the person who does all the perception operations of the İBB... Let it not be torn, hah, a friend says something. 'He was doing the İBB perception operations.' Who is this Serdar Haydanlı? The name that pops up everywhere. 4.5G, released from the station. Who is this Serdar Haydanlı whose name is mentioned in the Ekrem İmamoğlu investigation? Released from the station. They show him side-by-side with Ekrem Bey. Ekrem Bey's first morning image. Serdar Haydanlı bought a parrot with the money he earned and put it on his shoulder. The parrot that talks about the 'Century of Turkey, Century of Turkey, Century of Turkey' was released from the station. At that moment, look at the relationship with Ekrem Bey, they put up a photo where he looks grumpy. Sabah doesn't like such men. He has this, like, modern appearance. The mystery of Serdar Haydanlı, the key figure in the İmamoğlu investigation. Now, friends, you are journalists. We know some of you from Ankara, we know some of you here. You are good journalists. Why don't you look into these reports? I have these reports. Why don't you look? A Haber, all the pro-government channels, TRT, they all deleted the news. I mean, people believe it, right? 'Would A Haber lie?' A huge thing. Look, the person who does the perception operations. Serdar Haydanlı, who issued fake invoices for Ekrem İmamoğlu, robbed the İBB, and conducted perception operations, was released from the station.

Do you know why, friends? 100. When you asked this, they asked Ekrem Bey. Serdar Haydanlı didn't know. We didn't know either. According to what we read, he issued fake invoices. According to what we see, he did all the work of the AK Party era, and because his contract ended in 2021, I really... I mean, these habits of Mayor Ekrem... He said the man has a contract. He continued to work steadily for two more years in the tenders he entered. If it were Tayyip Bey, he would have grabbed him by the throat on the first day. He wouldn't give him work because 'you are Tayyip Bey's man.' I asked. Did he work at the İBB until 2021? They say if he entered the tender and won, he would have done it anyway. He won an open tender. He did the advertising work for this place for 2 years and got paid. Ekrem Bey doesn't know this friend. We don't know him. But our President knows him. Our Communications Director knows him. Because he gives an exemption only to him to explain the 'Century of Turkey'.

Without being subject to the Public Procurement Authority, with tax exemptions, the 100th year has arrived at the speed of light. We will explain the 'Century of Turkey'. Whoever the Directorate of Communications announces, there is an opportunity for them. And he only gives it to this one. He only gives it to 4.5G. He only, he only. He only exempted this friend. And that friend is the only one who was taken from his home at 6 in the morning and released from the station like everyone else. Look, they also took 7 board members of a company because they were doing advertising for the İBB. Irrelevant to the subject. They will be released this evening. They have been kept inside for 4 days. They were not released from the station. A 21-year-old university student, his father wrote his son's name as a shareholder when establishing the company. In the station, in custody, in custody, in custody. Serdar Haydanlı is at home. Because he was released with a phone call he received. Yet, in the secret witness statement, he is named as the person who issued the fake invoices. What more can I say, friends? Now, I will face the Minister of Justice.

Now, I want someone to face me. It could be the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Communications, or, if he has the courage, the President himself. I want one of them. An A Haber anchor will ask the questions. I will answer, and the person opposite me will answer. Take Akın Gürlek and all of them. Go ahead, create a perception operation. They took them all in. He is picking them according to a list, isn't he? They took this friend, Serdar Haydanlı, claiming he was a firm that did business between 2019-2021. And Serdar Haydanlı is a clever man. I mean, while I cannot even speak with Mayor Ekrem on the phone—and I am the fourth person in the Turkish protocol—how does he manage it? From the moment my IMM President was detained, I could not have a single phone conversation with him. Whoever this guy called—come on, there are HTS records, right? Who did he talk to that morning? Let's bring them out. We will bring these out tomorrow. Who did he call? Then, who called Akın Gürlek? And what instructions did Akın Gürlek give to the branch? He was released from the branch. I will not answer any questions other than this. Those who do not report this news, when the day comes, they will watch this press conference and they will have to answer not to me, but to their own children, when asked, 'How did you report this?'

Those who do not see this news, those who go off-air while this news is being broadcast, those who do not see this press conference—hey A Haber, if you have even this much honor, this much judgment, this much conscience, then come on, there is such a thing as follow-up reporting. There is such a thing as follow-up reporting. You cast that smear. You, who are behind every perception operation. Why don't you do some follow-up reporting? To see who released him. But you have deleted the news, haven't you? You deleted the news. Now, who is the manipulator? Who is the liar? Who is honorable? Who smears the honor of innocent people? Did we see it, friends? From here on, go ahead, go to Çağlayan. Ask, ask. We are not ashamed of the questions you ask. Who will be ashamed of the questions Ekrem İmamoğlu has asked and will ask? Let's see. No matter who you convict today, no matter who you convict in the scales of conscience, you are condemned and disgraced before history. Tomorrow, we shall see.

I am addressing the mainstream media from here. You get all your advertisements from above a certain income level, above a certain education level. 70 percent of Republican People's Party voters watch you. You pretend to create a balance with the two commentators you bring on. You pin all the blame on us in this investigation. While there is nothing yet, while it is secret. I am saying it here. To the mainstream media, to the news channels: Do not ignore these reports, do not fail to cover them.

I am speaking to those who do not use their power derived from consumption on Mondays, who do not put you in their crosshairs, who say 'they remained silent, they didn't see it.' I am speaking to those who showed penguins during the Gezi protests and then expressed regret the next day. I am speaking to those who do not see a night rally where the police said 220,000, the eye saw 500,000, and the drone captured 1 million. 70 percent of those who watch you are people who vote for us. If I consume the products of your other companies, if I let your advertisements be watched, I am a coward.

Come on then, don't see it. Go ahead, continue with the penguins. Go ahead, continue showing penguins. Just like the first 2 or 3 days of Gezi. They tell me I get many calls from above. I will bring you calls from below, from the millions, from the 10 millions. You will open your restaurant, you will sell us food. You will have us shop at your market. You will sell the car you brought from abroad to my voters. And then, when these disgusting things happen, you will switch to the other side. Everyone will know their side. Either be impartial, or from now on we are on the opposing side. I am speaking to those who claim to be a news channel and act disgracefully because they get calls from above. You don't see a 1-million-person night rally, don't see it. Then, the next day, you come and say, 'Our editor-in-chief wants to have a coffee with you.' A coffee has a 40-year memory. A villainy has a 40-year place in my memory. A great villainy is being committed. Thank you, friends. My Chairman, ask a question. Thanks, thanks friends.