CHP Chairman Özgür Özel addresses the crowd gathered in Saraçhane: We will not give up Mayor Ekrem

Here are the highlights from Özgür Özel's speech:

It is not Özgür Özel speaking in Saraçhane, it is you, it is Istanbul speaking...

Do you hear this, Erdoğan? Do you see this, Erdoğan? The crowds are calling out to you.

Since last night's diploma cancellation, I want to thank the leaders of all opposition parties—excluding the partners of the People's Alliance—who do not lie to this nation, who understand the plight of the hungry, who defend freedoms, and who say that this country should be whole and well...

I thank Mayor Ekrem, his family, the CHP, and the future of Turkey for the messages they sent, for calling us personally to convey their support, and for the solidarity shown here by the Chairmen, representatives, and executives of all political parties present...

Let no one be confused; what has been happening since yesterday has a name... This is a coup attempt, a March 19 coup attempt.

The coup attempt against your brother, your elder, your son, Ekrem İmamoğlu, is a coup attempt against the national will.

There is no corruption, no terrorist organization, and no criminal syndicate here. But there are appointed judicial executioners trying to find a cover for their actions. Were they going to say they detained him because Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is afraid of Ekrem İmamoğlu's candidacy?

"WHOEVER WINS ISTANBUL WINS TURKEY"

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor is merely an intermediary here! They are filing five lawsuits at once against the Mayor of Turkey's crown jewel, its largest metropolis, using such conspiracies.

The person doing this wakes up from his own voice in his sleep; that nightmare, 'Whoever loses Istanbul loses Turkey,' does not leave him alone, he cannot fall back asleep. 'Whoever wins Istanbul wins Turkey.'

God is my witness, we all know that because Tayyip Erdoğan lost all four elections he entered against Ekrem İmamoğlu, he is trying to break the wrist he could not bend with the stick of the judiciary.

For this, he is using people in the judiciary who are blinded by hatred and will do whatever he says. I am calling out from here: we need the faith and determination of this square very much.

We also need the common sense of those who are not in this square, and even those who do not share our views. Is it fair, is it right, to do this to İmamoğlu, who was elected by millions of Istanbulites, for the sole crime of being ahead in the polls and for the sole crime of being the future President?

"ARE YOU NOT ASHAMED TO BE THE TYRANT OF SARAÇHANE?"

Hey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, this is Saraçhane; those who sent you off 27 years ago are reminding you of those days today. Erdoğan, you, who became banned and were sent to prison for a poem you read, who spent three months in prison and spent 23 years talking about that victimization, and who came to many positions in 23 years because the nation reacted to that victimization—are you not ashamed to be the tyrant of Saraçhane today?

Hey Erdoğan, I invite you to a fair fight. I am following a path to determine the most accurate candidate by consulting all my members, and at the end of this path, I see power, I see victory. You do not see any strength in yourself against the presidential candidate of this country, of ours. That is why you are persecuting him with all sorts of conspiracies.

You have entered many elections and won, but since you cannot win this election, I expect you to step aside and designate a candidate who will compete fairly with my candidate.

We are ready for a fair fight, Istanbul is ready! I challenge you, don't be afraid, Erdoğan, are you ready to face us?

I am proud of you all. Since Tayyip Erdoğan became a man of the salons and stopped going out among the people, he cannot find a crowd like this. He is not in the eyes, he is not in the hearts! Dear Istanbulites, this issue has ceased to be just an İmamoğlu issue; it has become an issue for all of us.

The Constitution is completely suspended...

Today, when they made that decision, they made another one; what did they say? They said demonstrations and gatherings are banned in Istanbul for 4 days. I ask those who made that decision and those who had it made: do you see this area, this square? This struggle is not a struggle to be fought by a single party alone; we will stand behind Mayor Ekrem—hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, millions, all of Turkey...

He will walk, and we will walk!

Hey Erdoğan, do you hear the square? You are afraid of crowds and streets, but Istanbul is not afraid of you!

Today, Mayor Ekrem was detained and taken to the Vatan Police Headquarters. You became a flood and ran here to stand by him! With your strength, energy, and effort, our lawyers met with him.

İmamoğlu sends his greetings to all the squares, to the youth, and to the streets! He greets you... Both I, my party, and our candidate have a very important call... As you know, the CHP took an important step to operate all democratic processes and make a decision with all its members, to choose its presidential candidate with all its members, and set out with its members along with new participants in February.

Now we have a new call. World political history writes how single men and dictators come to power and how they drag a country and continents into disasters. Regarding how single men and dictators leave in the world, there is no option other than millions taking to the streets, as seen in the Arab Spring in the past.

"WE ARE ON THE STREETS ON SUNDAY"

From here, with the greetings of Mayor Ekrem and as the CHP, I call on not only CHP members but millions of people from all political views who are tired of this dictatorship, this one-man regime, poverty, unemployment, hunger, insecurity, and anxiety about the future, to wake up on Sunday morning and take to the streets, for CHP members to determine the presidential candidate at one ballot box, and for those who are not to show their solidarity at the other, and to stand by Mayor Ekrem.

Then we are on the streets on Sunday, we are at the ballot box! I invite 86 million to object, to raise their voices, to object, to struggle, to stand up. Stand up and save this country!

March 23 is the spring of Turkey; on March 23, the ballot box will come, Ekrem will come, troubles will end... Are you ready to bring spring on March 23?

We are all here together; we are not leaving this place to stand by Mayor Ekrem, and we are claiming your will. I greet you all with faith and courage. We are here, we are all together, we will not give up Mayor Ekrem!