CHP Chairman Özel speaks about the martyrs in Eskişehir at the rally in Bakırköy

The meeting point for the “The Nation Protects Its Will” rallies was Bakırköy Republic Square this week.

Despite record temperatures, Istanbulites filled the Republic Square with flags in their hands.

First, the message of IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is imprisoned in Marmara Prison in Silivri, was read to the crowd.

After İmamoğlu's message was read, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel began to address the crowd gathered in Bakırköy:

ÖZGÜR ÖZEL ADDRESSED THE CROWD IN BAKIRKÖY

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel addressed the Istanbulites participating in the rally. Here are the highlights from Özel's speech:

"This is Bakırköy Freedom Square. In the past, it was just a square. In 2023, Mayor Ekrem took a hand in it and added function. He brought this square to Bakırköy. I was with him today. He said, 'Greetings to Bakırköy, greetings to my fellow citizens.' Today, in this square that Mayor Ekrem brought to us, we have come to embrace our freedoms, to embrace each other as a reason for solidarity by drawing strength from our differences; we have come to embrace against those who alienate, those who polarize, and those who crowd their backs in this way. We have come to embrace in defiance of those who polarize. This country, with its Alevis, Sunnis, Turks, Kurds, and Laz, is the country of those who protect the Republic of Gazi Mustafa Atatürk."

"Those who do not hear what comes out of their mouths. Let us tell them this; this country is not one to hear the proposals of a country's ambassador who does not know the Ottoman millet system... or the other who does not know, who mixes up years, periods, and forms. They say nation-states in this geography are a threat to Israel. Have you left any nation-states? There is a nation-state in the geography, the Republic of Turkey. It is not a threat to anyone, but it will not bow to any threat either."

In his speech here, the CHP Leader, who reacted to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the US Ambassador to Ankara, and the Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, spoke as follows:

"Today we are in the district of solidarity, neighborliness, and kindness. We are in the district where different beliefs and identities live in brotherhood, in the district of peace, greetings to those who keep hope alive, to those who fill this square, to those who protect those they elected, to those who protect their will."

"We are in the district of Munir Özkul, Suna Pekuysal, Cem Karaca, Hrant Dink, Hasan İzzettin Dinamo, Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil, and the handsome Tarık Akan, who lies right over there, all of whom this district nurtured many of this country's values in its bosom."

CHP CHAIRMAN REACTED TO TOM BARRACK

CHP Leader Özgür Özel reacted harshly to the statements of US Ambassador to Ankara and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack that 'Strong nation-states are a threat to Israel.'

Özel used the following expressions regarding Tom Barrack:

"Those who do not hear what comes out of their mouths. Let us tell them this; this country is not one to hear the proposals of a country's ambassador who does not know the Ottoman millet system... or the other who does not know, who mixes up years, periods, and forms. They say nation-states in this geography are a threat to Israel. Have you left any nation-states? There is a nation-state in the geography, the Republic of Turkey. It is not a threat to anyone, but it will not bow to any threat either."

TWO DEPUTIES JOINED THE CHP

Istanbul Deputy Evrim Rizvanoğlu and Tekirdağ Deputy Cem Avşar, who resigned from the DEVA Party, joined the CHP.

"There are those who heed this call. I will call two names here. My Istanbul and Tekirdağ provincial chairmen are on both sides of me," said CHP Leader Özgür Özel, who pinned the CHP badges on Rizvanoğlu and Avşar.

"LET US SHOW OUR SOLIDARITY, OUR MOST HEARTFELT SOLIDARITY"

Greeting those who lost their loved ones as a result of murder and are seeking justice, Özel said:

"This square is also the square of those seeking justice. Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi, our beautiful Ahmet, was brutally attacked in a marketplace in Kadıköy where he went to buy skateboard equipment. It broke all of our hearts. His mother both lived her own pain and made us all feel it. Then she embarked on a great struggle. For three days, Ms. Yasemin has been keeping a justice vigil for her child in this square. All of Turkey stood in solidarity with her. But I would like to mention their names: Muhammed Mutluay's mother Derya Hanım, Abdurrahman Balcı's mother Zeynep Hanım, Batuhan Kurt's mother Mümine Hanım, Kadir Özkök's mother Ayşe Hanım, Sedef Güler's mother Gülizer Hanım, Ata Emre Akman's mother Zuhal Hanım. These grieving mothers, whom we felt like we lost our own children when they lost theirs recently, were here and showed solidarity. Today, they are raising their cry for justice in this square. Let us show them our solidarity, our most heartfelt solidarity."

"THERE ARE NO SUCH DEATHS IN THE WORLD ANYMORE"

Speaking about the 10 forest workers who lost their lives in the ongoing fire in Eskişehir, CHP Leader Özel reacted to the AKP government.

Stating that such easy deaths do not occur in any other country, Özel said:

"The fire has been going on in Seyitgazi for two days. They were saying they had it under control. Very painful news came from the Fethiye region. We lost 11 of our forest workers. May we all have our condolences. In this country of easy deaths, there are no such deaths in the world anymore. In Germany, France, and England, no one has died in mines for 100 years. So, this is neither in the nature of some professions nor is there an explanation for giving martyrs while fighting forest fires. On one hand, we receive this painful news while we are talking about justice, while we are talking about pains, may we have our condolences. This nation will surely hold this irresponsibility, this bad management to account."

"FROM NOW ON, THEY WON'T LET YOU SET UP THE GAME"

Özel reacted to the statements made by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who spoke at the Police Academy graduation ceremony, regarding the CHP.

Reminding of the operation carried out against the Manavgat Municipality, the CHP Chairman said:

"I am telling you while looking into your eyes. We nominated that baklava maker for the municipal council two years ago. But did they catch that baklava maker with illegal alcohol a month before the incident and release him without processing him? Did they stay in contact for a month? Did the one who brought the baklava and the one who received it happen to be in the same places at the same time?"

"Did that baklava maker, when you were three behind in the Manavgat Municipality municipal council, first give three names and then four names, and then have four municipal council members from the Manavgat Municipality thrown inside and arrested in your favor, and when they resigned just as the voting was about to take place, did the slanderer baklava maker give the names of four more people? Did you pressure the district election board to have the election held in this state for the AK Party in order to win that election? Is the district election board judge the wife of the chief public prosecutor or not? When the YSK took a YSK decision and said new municipal council members will come from the CHP and the election will be held like that, did the prosecutor's wife run away by getting a medical report at five to five on Friday evening or not? It is not enough! Well, the election will be the next morning."

"The election will be the next morning. Did the baklava maker withdraw his resignation so that the municipality would pass to the AK Party and make a move for the AK Party or not? If that baklava maker was known as a Republican People's Party member until the footage came out. I intervened in the entire process from the first moment. A thief has no party. If he is an AK Party member, may God damn him, if he is a CHP member, may God damn him. But now it is understood that you plotted a conspiracy in that baklava maker business to add the Manavgat Municipality to the CHP, and you were caught red-handed. I am saying it clearly from here, in defiance of the AK Party's threats, the palace's game, the palace's prosecutor, and all kinds of conspiracies, the Republican People's Party is standing tall, my brother, standing tall. From now on, they won't let you set up the game."

HE REMINDED OF THE PLANE, LARCH, AND OAK

Reminding of businessperson Serdar Haydanlı, who was detained within the scope of the investigations launched against the IMM, Özgür Özel also mentioned the secret witnesses 'oak, larch, and plane' and said the following:

"Plane, Oak, Larch. Three pieces of wood. They made these secret witnesses. They gave all the contractors doing business with the IMM to the IMM. They made them slander everyone, it's ordinary. He says, he issued a fake invoice, it's a lie. He says he did this, it's a lie. Someone got involved in between, Serdar Haydanlı. He also has an invoice. It was the friends' inexperience in the first days. Now, when an AK Party name comes, they say skip it and don't put it in the record. Serdar Haydanlı says Plane, Serdar Haydanlı issued a fake invoice and gained income from the IMM. They took him in the morning and took him away. He panicked while going, he called Ankara, the Palace. Both phones reached the right place, they released him from the branch. Who is this Serdar Haydanlı? The owner of the 4.5G company. The man who does Teknofests. Well, when did he issue the fake invoice to the IMM? During the AK Party period. When it was like that, they released him from the branch. I heard, Serdar Haydanlı is on the list, he is not at the Police Department. We sent two lawyers, we had them look at all the floors, Serdar Haydanlı is not there.

I went out and made a statement, I said how does this happen, you take 100 people because this secret witness says this, you release him when it comes to the AK Party member. They said, look, they made a press statement, they said he is arrested, in custody. Whereas we know he is at home. They sent a car, they brought him in the middle of the night. They said he is in custody, I caught him online on his WhatsApp, online. Would I let it go? I explained that too. The next day, is it true or not? Come out, come out and explain. On that day, look how they confirmed me now, it came out today. I caught him online on his WhatsApp. The man was released and went home, they brought him when we pressured.

He is flirting on WhatsApp in the Deputy Police Chief's office. When I said this, they took him to court and arrested him falsely. We have been following him since that day. They made this Serdar Haydanlı a confessor last month and released him. Now for God's sake, for God's sake, think about it. This Serdar Haydanlı, who used to work for the IMM, whom they called the fake invoice issuer of the Plane, whom they took because of that, who had himself released by phone, who does the Teknofests, who works with 16 ministries, in total, in total, wait I will tell you the exact figure, 800 million dollars, almost 1 billion dollars worth of tenders he received. The Directorate of Communications gave him a special letter, you will give the campaign to this man, he is authorized to do this, the man who received nearly 1 billion dollars, 35 billion TL in Turkish currency, was released last month by arranging a slander report against Mayor Ekrem and his friends. If this man is guilty, why did you release him on the first day? If he is innocent, why did you arrest him? Since you are keeping him inside because he is guilty, look, he didn't do anything from us during our term.

But you don't touch the ministries where he received this much money, the AK Party municipalities, on the day he stays inside, you arrest our people with the slander of the man you released because he was innocent at first, and you take the advertiser of Teknofest outside.

The family's advertiser, Teknofest's advertiser, and it's at such a point that A Haber, Sabah made such news about him on the first morning: They said İmamoğlu's rich advertiser, the billionaire man, now they put him aside, released him, and they expect us to believe these lies. Yesterday the former Communications Director made a statement, they produced a document, they confirmed everything I said at the press conference in Saraçhane about this man. They confirmed everything. But they are so mistaken that, for example, not only those they made slanderers, but those who suck the blood of the nation are also outside."

İMAMOĞLU ADDRESSED FROM SILIVRI

CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik went up to the bus to read the letter of the imprisoned Presidential Candidate and IMM President İmamoğlu.

İmamoğlu, whose letter was read by Özgür Çelik, used the following expressions:

“Dear Bakırköy residents, my brave, beautiful fellow citizens; in this period when we are subjected to many unfair, unlawful treatments and persecuted, two things especially add strength to my strength and determination to my determination: First; the courage and perseverance of you and tens of millions of our citizens across the country who grow the struggle for democracy and justice square by square. Second, despite all the pressure and obstacles, our municipalities continue to be a remedy for the troubles of our citizens. Two weeks ago, our Regional Employment Office (BİO) opened in Bakırköy also filled me with happiness and hope. I would like to thank my valuable fellow traveler, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan, our Bakırköy Mayor Ayşegül Ovalıoğlu, and everyone who contributed.”

“WE DID NOT SAY, ‘FINDING A JOB IS NOT OUR DUTY, IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S DUTY’…”

“Our Regional Employment Offices are one of the projects that have no precedent before and that I attach great importance to. We implemented our employment offices to be able to support our citizens who are crushed under unemployment and increasingly worsening economic conditions. Thanks to these offices, we trained, guided, and brought together everyone looking for a job, especially young people, women, and the disabled, with employers. We did not say, ‘Finding a job is not our duty, it is the government's duty.’ We said, ‘Whatever the urgent need of the citizen is, that is our duty too,’ and we rolled up our sleeves. We ensured that hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens were placed in jobs through a process that did not contain any partisanship at any stage and was entirely based on merit. BİOs are just one of our projects that protect and look after the citizen against the great destruction caused by the government's policies that create crises and are incapable of producing solutions.”

“ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT REASONS FOR OUR IMPRISONMENT IS OUR DOER IDENTITY AND OUR POPULIST PROJECTS”

“Along with this, our Ataköy-İkitelli metro line from our transportation investments is also among our services that make the lives of our Bakırköy citizens easier. Our nursery service that we offer to families in need without making any political party or opinion distinction, our heritage work Baruthane that we restored and brought into the culture and art life of our citizens, and our Ayamama Life Valley that gives breath to the city are also among the examples that summarize our doer and populist way of doing business. One of the most important reasons why I and my other mayor friends are imprisoned for flimsy reasons, without documents, without evidence, is precisely this, our place in the heart of the nation with our doer identity and populist projects, and therefore being seen as a great threat by the current government.”

“THEIR DIRTY AND PITIABLE PLANS BACKFIRED”

“They thought they could protect their seats by putting us inside, by trying to discredit us in the eyes of the citizen. But these dirty and pitiable plans backfired. Every lawlessness they commit today, every conspiracy they set up, brings them closer to their inevitable end faster. It is seen much more clearly with what a great victory we will emerge from the ballot box. This will be the victory of millions whose rights are eaten, whose value is not known, who are ignored. It will be the victory of those who are deprived of their most basic rights and freedoms, the insecure. We will emerge from the ballot box with a great victory. This will be the victory of those who cannot get the return of their labor, their investment. It will be the victory of those whose youth, future, and dreams are stolen. We will emerge from the ballot box with a great victory. This will be the victory of democracy, of the national will. It will be the victory of justice, freedom, and dignity. A handful of people will lose, a great and noble nation will win. Everything will be very beautiful. Ekrem İmamoğlu. Silivri dungeon.”