Özel's statement on '3-letter' supermarket chains at CHP's Bolu rally: 'Only one left'

The 95th "The Nation Protects Its Will" rally, held weekly following the arrest of CHP's Presidential Candidate and elected Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and other mayors, took place in Bolu.

The Bolu gathering continues with a speech by CHP Chairman Özgür Özel. Reacting to the arrest of Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan, Özel listed Tanju Özcan's projects one by one during his 7-year tenure as mayor.

Özel's speech included the following remarks: “Today, history is repeating itself in Bolu. Once again, the oppressors and the oppressed are facing each other. Today, Bolu stands shoulder to shoulder against those who cast a shadow over its will. Let no one forget; if you are to be a tyrant, a 'Bolu Beyi' and a rifle are enough for you. But if you are to be a hero, you need a 'Köroğlu', a 'kıraat' (recitation), and the nation behind you. I address today's 'Bolu beys' from here; you are alone, Bolu is with Tanju. Those you previously took statements from and tried to force to stand against Tanju are now competing with each other, saying, 'I am not a complainant. I didn't say anything against Tanju. Mayor Tanju didn't do anything wrong. We are satisfied with him.' I say to the current representatives of the 'Bolu Beyi'; this square is the square of Köroğlu, this square is the square of Bolu, which protects its own child. I will tell you a Bolu story today. The Social Democratic Populist Party last won this city in 1989. Later, we could not gain Bolu's consent and could not win the municipality. You elected him as a member of parliament four times between 2011 and 2019, with short intervals, alongside Tanju Özcan, with whom I served as an MP. At every opportunity, he spoke about the problems of Bolu and the country. When Parliament closed, he rushed to Bolu. There was no street he didn't enter, no tradesman he didn't know, and no fellow citizen he didn't touch. In the 2019 elections, Bolu called him, and we nominated him. With 52.7 percent of the vote, he received more than one out of every two votes, and you recognized him as the 'city's trustee' (şehremini). Then he served for five years. Five years later, he entered the election alone, without an alliance, and increased his votes. He took office once again with 53-54 percent of the vote. Despite Bolu not having voted for his political party for years, it knew who protected it. It knew its child. Thanks to him, a bridge of affection was built between Bolu and the CHP. Since that day, we have been writing a completely different story in Bolu.”

“HE WORKED FOR BOLU, BOLU PROTECTED HIM”

“Mayor Tanju is the child of the retiree in Bolu. He is the older brother of the youth. He is the protector of the orphan. I go to many cities and see successful mayors. But I see the satisfaction of a city with its mayor best in the eyes of the people in that square when I list the services he has provided. We are now live on television. All of Turkey has turned and is looking at Bolu. In minus 2-degree weather, in the middle of the harsh winter, in this frost, on a blessed day of Ramadan, after the fasts have been kept and after the Tarawih prayer, I look at this square. I see this square and I understand that Tanju is innocent. Tanju belongs to Bolu. Tanju has worked for Bolu. And Bolu has protected him. Greetings to Bolu, which protects Tanju, a child of the party founded by Atatürk, who is devoted to the red flag with the crescent and star in our hands, and who follows in the footsteps of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.”

LISTED TANJU ÖZCAN'S PROJECTS ONE BY ONE

“We are in the middle of Ramadan, the 17th day of fasting. Today, the 17th Tarawih prayer was performed. I shout to all of Turkey from here, let those who heard tell those who haven't. In these 7 years, Tanju Özcan laid 585 thousand tons of asphalt in Bolu. He paved 56 thousand square meters of sidewalks and built walking paths. He laid 87 kilometers of drinking water lines and 62 kilometers of rainwater lines. In 7 years, he built a total of 97 new parks in Bolu. He renovated 35 old parks. Look at the green space per capita; for example, in Istanbul, in Esenyurt, which the AKP has managed for 25 years, the green space per capita is 1 square meter. We show our difference from Esenyurt in Istanbul. We say that the AKP managed that place and it was 1 square meter, while Ekrem İmamoğlu and Mehmet Murat Çalık managed Beylikdüzü and it is 10 square meters. Ten times more. Here, in Bolu, the green space per capita is 24 square meters. Does a man come and build 90 parks in 7 years? You don't do this in a metropolitan city, but in a place like Bolu, with a specific population and surface area, you build 97 parks. There were 35 parks before. You build an additional 97 parks. You bring Bolu to a completely different point with a total of 132 parks. It doesn't end there; he provided food and household goods assistance to poor mothers. Cash support to the disabled and students... He finished the South Ring Road project. He established a local products market. He built the Bolu Municipality Business Center. He built the Zübeyde Hanım Mosque. He built the November 12 Youth Center. He opened the Solmaz Ana Soup Kitchen. He built the Charity Bazaar. He built the Uğur Mumcu Cultural Center. He opened the City Restaurant. He installed a solar power plant. Finally, the second phase of the 100 thousand square meter 100th Year Republic Park, which I came to promote and open the first stage of, is being built, and we will open it on October 29.”

“THE FACE OF BOLU HAS CHANGED”

“Let those who heard tell those who haven't; let those who hear inform those who don't. This is Bolu. When Tanju Özcan arrived, when he took it from the AKP, the Bolu Municipality's income was 44 million dollars, and its debt was 82 million dollars. That is 3.5 billion liras in today's money. Now, the same Bolu, seven years later. Seven years ago, the income was 44 million dollars, today it is 95 million dollars. The income has exactly doubled in dollar terms. Seven years ago, the debt was 82 million dollars, now it is 15 million dollars. It has dropped to one-sixth. Imagine that the income has increased twofold, and the debt has dropped to one-sixth. Since 2019, Bolu has grown by 107 percent in dollar terms. Mayor Tanju used to say, 'There is one municipality in Turkey that grows more than China. That is Bolu Municipality.' With what he has done, the debt he has paid, the increase in income, and the change in Bolu's face, well done to my Mayor Tanju. I didn't even know this much. But on behalf of all of you, I went two nights ago and saw it. I will visit Mayor Tanju again in the coming days. If you approve, I will kiss him on the forehead on behalf of all of you for what he has done.”

"TANJU ÖZCAN'S CRIME IS DEFEATING THE AKP"

“So what is Mayor Tanju's crime? His main crime is defeating the AKP in this city. His biggest crime is defeating them with the support he received from the AKP and the MHP. Because he serves without discriminating against anyone, he touches people's lives. That is why Mayor Tanju was targeted. And there is a crime they fabricated. What is it? Mayor Tanju founded a foundation, and it includes AKP members, Nationalist Movement Party members, the city's tradesmen chambers, and the drivers' chamber. The name of the foundation is the BOLSEV Foundation, because they love Bolu so much. This foundation did something like this; it gave loans to the poor children of Bolu. Apart from that, it provided hospital beds to those who didn't have them. It gave wheelchairs. But it only gave. So where did it get the money? This foundation received money from philanthropists in Bolu. And they saw that there are those who come to Bolu from outside, earn plenty of money but do not pay taxes in Bolu; those who earn from Bolu but invest and spend elsewhere, and even pay taxes elsewhere. Who are they? You know, at first there was one, then they became 10, 100, 1000. There is a 'three-letter' (supermarket chain) on every street. Mayor Tanju said to them, 'Okay, you establish the company in Istanbul. You come to Bolu, open a branch. You buy wholesale and sell cheap, crushing the tradesmen here. You mostly bankrupt them. You earn the money, you take it to Istanbul. There is no such looting. We founded a foundation here, in this city. You should make a contribution to this foundation. Make a contribution to the education of these students, at least the poor students. But don't give it for free, huh. Look, we gave the Bolu Municipality's billboards to BOLSEV, the Foundation for Those Who Love Bolu, for free. Deposit the money into this foundation, and your advertisements will appear on these billboards.' They accepted this. Some didn't pay, some did. But then suddenly something happened.

“THIS CHIEF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR IS THE ONE WHO SAVES MINISTERS”

“An investigation was opened. By whom? By someone who holds a grudge against Mayor Tanju. What grudge? This grudge; Kartalkaya burned. The babies burned, the mothers burned, the fathers burned, all of our hearts burned, and all of Turkey cried with Bolu. That's where, after this fire, the Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office appointed an expert. From where? From Bolu. From among the people of Bolu. These experts, these honest Bolu experts, gave three days. They started working with photos, they photographed and videotaped their work. Then they wrote a report. The report said; 'This fire broke out in a place that is entirely under the responsibility of the Ministry of Tourism, which received its license from the Ministry of Tourism, and which has the responsibility of inspection. The primary responsible party is the Ministry of Tourism, the Provincial Special Administration.' They wrote this report and took it to the prosecutor's office. The Chief Prosecutor took it and said, 'This won't do, you cannot write the Ministry here.' 'But they received the license from the Ministry. A huge sign. A huge hotel burned down, the sign remained out of spite; it is licensed by the Ministry of Tourism.' 'How can we not write it?' 'You will write it.' 'I cannot write it,' they said. 'And you will remove the Ministry from here. You will write Bolu Municipality here.' The expert said, 'How can we write that? It is outside the borders of Bolu Municipality. This is under the responsibility of the Ministry.' The prosecutor said, 'Then don't bring the report. Don't you dare sign this. Resign from being an expert, do it quickly.' All seven of these experts, at the hour they were to submit their reports, said, 'I request my pardon due to my excuse,' and quit being experts. The prosecutor found another expert. When this report emerged, they declared it a pirate report. They tried to save the Minister and the Ministry from this business. Just at this moment, Tanju Özcan complained about this Chief Prosecutor to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors. This Chief Prosecutor is the one who saves ministers from the Kartalkaya fire. The Chief Prosecutor, who tries to involve... in the business, looks and cannot find a flaw in Tanju. He cannot find an open door. He calls the donors of this foundation, the representatives of the companies, again and again, 'someone else said it, you say it too.' 'Don't get the press into trouble.' 'Don't do this or that.' While another prosecutor was taking a statement there, the Chief Prosecutor came and sent a statement to Zafer Şahin, a journalist close to the AK Party, and he published it.”

"THEY SAID WE ARE NOT COMPLAINANTS"

“As I was coming here, the CEO of A101 called us, in distress. What he said is this, 'We are not complainants.' Well, there was a statement from someone working for you there. They investigate, 'He must have been working somewhere else, they mixed our names into the statement.' Now they have sent a statement to the entire press. 'Tanju Özcan did not pressure us. We are not complainants against Tanju Özcan or Bolu Municipality.' He is announcing it to Bolu, he is announcing it to Turkey. He is announcing it to Bolu, he is announcing it to Turkey. Now there is one left among the 'three-letter' ones. One. Who is that? Now we will look at that. If he also tells the truth one day, if he does not bow to the pressures of this Chief Prosecutor, he will know his own state. If he doesn't, who? Let me ask. Who? Bolu knows. Does Bolu know what to do? I am not saying anything. Whoever deals with this Bolu, whoever takes the side of the 'Bolu Beyi', will find Köroğlu against them. That is all I am saying.”

In the meeting held in the square in front of the Bolu Governorship, supported by tens of thousands of citizens, a letter sent from his cell in Silivri by Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor, CHP's and 25.1 million citizens' presidential candidate, who was arrested on March 19, 2025, was read. The letter of İmamoğlu was read by CHP Bolu Provincial Chairman Tahsin Mert Karagöz.

İMAMOĞLU'S LETTER WAS READ

In his letter read by Karagöz, İmamoğlu said the following:

“The big-hearted, brave people of beautiful Bolu… Precious ladies, respected gentlemen, fiery youth, smiling children… I greet each of you with respect, love, and longing, and I embrace you with all my heart. I hope that the blessed Ramadan fills our hearts with love, patience, and tolerance. I wish it to bring abundance to your homes and businesses. I heartily thank our Bolu Provincial Chairman Tahsin Mert Karagöz, who is the reason for our meeting with you today and who represents the strong and determined stance of our organization, and in his person, our entire organization for the determined struggle they have put up.”

“THERE IS A GOVERNMENT THAT FORCIBLY IMPOSES ITSELF ON THE NATION”

“Dear brothers and sisters; many of us have reacted by saying, 'Where is this state' in the face of the negligence and injustices we have experienced or witnessed. If we see that our state has gone beyond the limits of the law and is not at the service of the nation; we certainly question and object to this situation. Because we, the 86 million citizens of this country, are the owners of this country and this state. Those who use the authority to govern the state on behalf of the nation must know their limits and comply with their boundaries. Unfortunately, today, there is a government in power that has made acting outside the law a rule and forcibly imposes itself on the nation. This government does not see itself as one of the state institutions, but as the state itself. It tries to keep the legislature, the executive, the judiciary, the media, and all social life under its control and domination.”

“THEY CANNOT ACCEPT THE NATION'S WILL TURNING TO ANYONE OTHER THAN THEMSELVES”

“Ultimately, what they want to bring under control and domination is the national will. They cannot accept the nation's will turning to anyone other than themselves. And to put pressure on the nation, they persecute those elected by the nation. This is what has been done to us for months and now to our Mayor Tanju Özcan. This evil mind, this cowardly spirit, which has lost its conscience and common sense out of greed for power and wealth, avoids competing with us honorably. It hides behind the judiciary it keeps under control. The opinion and decision of the people of Bolu regarding Tanju Özcan are clear. They elected him as a member of parliament for three terms and as Mayor twice by a wide margin. Because they trust him. They know and see that Mayor Tanju works not for himself or for others, but only for the nation.”

“IF THIS IS A CRIME, WE ARE ALL GUILTY, BUT THIS IS NOT A CRIME”

“Against the economic policies of the government that make everyone poorer and more insecure, as Republican People's Party municipalities, we stand by our nation with all our might. We strive to be a remedy for the troubles of those who are in distress, in difficulty, and who feel lonely and helpless. We are actually just doing our job and giving the nation's money directly to the nation. We are opening nurseries, building dormitories, and providing scholarships so that the children and youth of this country can receive education under the best conditions and their families can be a little more comfortable. And we do this without any discrimination, without looking at anyone with a different eye... If this is a crime; Mayor Tanju is guilty, I am guilty, we are all guilty. But this is not a crime. This is the requirement of valuing a human being because they are human. This is the requirement of loving your country and your nation. This is the requirement of respecting the rights and freedoms of the citizen.”

“WE WILL BURY THEM IN HISTORY…”

“This is why we do politics. We will continue to do so with this morality and this responsibility. We will not refrain from telling the truth and expressing the facts in the squares or in the dungeons. We will continue to work on what else we can do for this country and what projects we can use to meet the needs and demands of our nation. We will continue to produce policies that will ensure justice and freedom for everyone, everywhere. Because we are the future of this country. When I say 'we', I do not mean any single person, group, or party. We are those who cannot tolerate injustice and tyranny. We are those who want the same thing for others as we want for ourselves. We are the 86 million self-confident, brave, and heartily connected citizens of this country, raised with the feeling of 'one for all, all for one'. We will bury the rule of a handful of people in history, and Turkey will be a country of happy and free people who do not know what the struggle for livelihood is and who do not worry about the future. Everything will be very beautiful. Ekrem İmamoğlu. Silivri Dungeon.”

"I AM BEING ACCUSED OF HELPING STUDENTS"

At the event, the letter of the imprisoned Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan was read. Özcan's letter included the following statements:

"My dear neighbors, I was taken from my bed and detained last Saturday morning at 06:30. My crime was finding resources to provide scholarships to 527 young people from Bolu. We also provided beds for our patients, wheelchairs for our disabled individuals, and food and grocery support to those who were hungry. We carried out all of these through a foundation affiliated with the municipality. We did nothing other than bringing philanthropists together with those in need.

I am not being accused of providing personal gain, but of helping students. I am in prison upon the complaint of the 3-letter supermarket chains that do nothing but fuel inflation. I do not regret founding a foundation to find resources for my student brothers and sisters, my disabled citizens, and my fellow citizens who go to bed hungry. If I had to do it again, I would. My only regret is that scholarships will not be able to be given to students."