CHP in Esenyurt on the 1st anniversary of Ahmet Özer's imprisonment: 'We expect an immediate acquittal'

Following the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the 64th of the 'Defending the National Will' rallies was held in Istanbul's Esenyurt district.

The people of Esenyurt flocked to Republic Square for the rally, which took place on the 1st anniversary of Mayor Ahmet Özer's imprisonment.

CHP CHAIRMAN ÖZGÜR ÖZEL SPOKE

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel began his speech by addressing claims that there would be low attendance at this evening's rally due to the October 29 Republic Day ceremonies yesterday, stating, "I said, 'You don't know Esenyurt'." Özel reminded the crowd that a democracy watch has been held for one year following the operation against the Esenyurt Municipality. Özel continued his speech as follows:

"Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özer is a scientist who has dedicated his life to Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood. From here, we have made the voice of the Esenyurt Alliance heard across Turkey, showing that brotherhood can prevail. You entrusted Esenyurt to Ahmet Özer with 51 percent of the vote. It is our citizens who called us to duty and believe that Esenyurt deserves a pro-people municipal administration. In 209 days, Özer opened a soup kitchen, opened a nursery, provided educational support to 600 students, provided course services to 3,000 students, undertook the repair of 23 schools, laid 100 thousand tons of asphalt, solved the zoning problem in the Kıraç and Industrial Zone, and was able to attend 3 of the 5 festivals he planned. They arrested him for 'supporting terrorism.' The 'City Consensus' was deemed a crime. It was said, 'The votes of Kurds who do not have the power to win a municipality in the west have been taken and they have been given the opportunity for representation.' They say, 'You gave Kurds a representation they did not deserve.' If this is a crime, I am the owner of this crime. I state it clearly: DEM is a party with its own politics and respected politicians. But Kurds are not limited to DEM, and DEM is not limited to Kurds.

They say a relative of his died, and he told the person whose mother died, 'Your mother raised very precious children like you.' One of those children was registered with a terrorist organization. It's a condolence. The other sibling who received the condolence is another sibling registered with the organization. If a terrorist organization member comes out of that phone, a bigger one would come out of the AKP members.

Regarding Deputy Mayor İbrahim Halil Çalış, the Siyami Ersek Hospital recommended a heart valve replacement. They say it should not be done while he is in custody. We are waiting for the last day of the scheduling report. We expect trial without arrest for all of them.

They took Professor Ahmet under the guise of terrorism and arrested him. The process began as of October 1 last year. They didn't even put a name to it. We continue to support him with courage. They back-up his imprisonment because they knew Ahmet Özer's imprisonment would be lifted. We expect an immediate acquittal from the terror case."

59 vehicles were given to the AK Party Provincial Presidency, and the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued a decision of non-prosecution for this. You say, 'I am issuing a non-prosecution' for the use of state property. You may not follow this, but if I do not follow this file and the AK Party's favoritism as long as I live, if I take my hand off your collar, I am dishonorable.

This person called Hüseyin Gün has only one photo with Ekrem İmamoğlu. However, he has been to the House of Lords in England with AKP deputies and participated in the Turkey session there.

Everyone's information in Turkey is being sold on the internet. 4 million Istanbulites have used 'Istanbul Senin,' and its server was abroad. Everyone knows that the data of all state banks are kept in cloud accounts abroad, but without shame, they try to smear this on Istanbul and call our İBB Mayor a 'spy'."

EKREM İMAMOĞLU: THEY COULD NOT DIGEST THE DEFEAT

Presidential candidate and İBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu also sent a letter to the rally. As in previous rallies, İmamoğlu's messages were read by CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik.

Reminding that Esenyurt's elected Mayor Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özer was arrested exactly 1 year ago, İmamoğlu said, “For one year, the national will, for one year, the law, for one year, democracy have been trampled upon. We are facing a government that has become more cruel with each passing day over the past year. This is a government that begs for legitimacy from foreign powers that the nation did not give, and makes concession after concession to protect its seat.”

“They are so afraid of an honest and fair election, of a brave and heroic struggle, that they resort to every lie and every snake-like tactic to sideline me,” said İmamoğlu, sending the message: “They went as far as declaring me and my friends spies. Here, I openly accuse: Whoever basely exploits even the most serious issues, such as espionage, to get rid of a political rival and suppress the nation's will, know that they are working against that nation and state. I am a child of this homeland who has never shied away from shouldering any burden or enduring any hardship for the good of my beloved nation, and I will not shy away from it in the future; I am a pure patriot.”

İmamoğlu said the following in his letter, which he addressed through Çelik:

“A huge hello from Silivri to Esenyurt. Esenyurt, which suffered a great urban massacre for many years with a rent-oriented zoning mentality, met with the Republican People's Party's pro-people and action-oriented social municipalism starting in 2019. Thus, Esenyurt began to receive services and investments in every field, from social aid to nurseries, from student dormitories to regional employment offices, from city restaurants to life valleys. When rent-seeking municipalism gave way to pro-people municipalism, my precious fellow citizens of Esenyurt finally began to breathe a sigh of relief. In 2024, my dear fellow traveler Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özer took over the service flag with the vote of one in every two people and embraced his duty with all his might.

But those who were defeated could not digest the defeat. First, they tried to declare our Professor Ahmet Özer, who dedicated his academic career and his life to peace and science, as linked to terrorism and arrested him. They tried to make the effort shown for the will of the people of Esenyurt to be reflected in the administration in the most democratic way in the 2024 local elections look like a crime. The so-called evidence they presented had no legal or logical validity. They were things fabricated to create a crime and a criminal. Then, they arrested Professor Ahmet Özer for a second time due to another completely politically motivated case woven with slander and conspiracy, threats and blackmail.

“THIS IS A GOVERNMENT THAT BEGS FOR LEGITIMACY FROM FOREIGN POWERS, MAKES CONCESSION AFTER CONCESSION TO PROTECT ITS SEAT”

Today is the first anniversary of the imprisonment of Esenyurt's elected mayor, my dear fellow traveler, Professor Ahmet Özer. For one year, the national will, for one year, the law, for one year, democracy have been trampled upon. We are facing a government that has become more cruel with each passing day over the past year. This is a government that begs for legitimacy from foreign powers that the nation did not give, and makes concession after concession to protect its seat. This is a government that sells out our country's natural resources and rare earth elements to foreigners for its own interests. They know very well that our nation no longer has any tolerance for them and that they will never win an election at the ballot box again. That is why they are trying to win elections by sidelining their rivals through the judiciary.

"I WILL NOT HESITATE TO GIVE MY LIFE IF NECESSARY"

They are so afraid of an honest and fair election, of a brave and heroic struggle, that they resort to every lie and every snake-like tactic to sideline me. They went as far as declaring me and my friends spies. Here, I openly accuse: Whoever basely exploits even the most serious issues, such as espionage, to get rid of a political rival and suppress the nation's will, know that they are working against that nation and state. I am a child of this homeland who has never shied away from shouldering any burden or enduring any hardship for the good of my beloved nation, and I will not shy away from it in the future; I am a pure patriot. I will never hesitate to give my life for this heavenly homeland if necessary. My nation knows best my love and loyalty to my nation, my homeland, and my flag.

My dear fellow citizens; those who have lost their reputation, the love and trust of the nation to protect their seats have reached the end of the road. They are at the end of the road, but we are still at the beginning. They run away from the ballot box and the nation, while we run to the ballot box and the nation. Together, with all our might, with hope and courage, we are walking towards the goal without tiring. Our goal is to make this heavenly homeland a country where justice and freedom prevail for everyone, everywhere... Where abundance and prosperity are shared fraternally... A peaceful and happy country. Our aim is to walk as a nation towards the goal set before us by Atatürk and to take Turkey above the level of contemporary civilization. We will reach this goal together. No power will be able to turn us from our path. Because no power can stand in the way of a change whose time has come! We will not be discouraged, we will not get tired, and we will definitely succeed. Everything will be very beautiful. Ekrem İmamoğlu. Silivri dungeon.”

At the opening of the rally, the message of the imprisoned Mayor Ahmet Özer was read. The following messages were included in the letter read by Özer's daughter and son:

AHMET ÖZER'S LETTER WAS READ

Imprisoned Mayor Özer's letter was read by his daughter Seraf Özer. Özer's letter was as follows:

"Our Dear People,

I greet you all with my most sincere feelings from the Silivri Dungeon.

My brothers and sisters, darkness is the refuge of cowards, and its rule lasts until the brave emerge and light the light. You have lit this light in this square today.

Because you know that the struggle for freedom and democracy is the most honorable struggle of a human being.

Greetings to those who fight for freedom, greetings to those who uphold human dignity...

My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Exactly one year has passed since the operation that started in Esenyurt in October 2024. Those who could not digest our winning the election, those who were afraid of us building a bridge between the Kurdish voters and the CHP, those who could not digest us entering the hearts of the people by realizing services that would fit into years in Esenyurt in a short time, and a Kurd coming and managing Turkey's largest district in Istanbul, took action.

Using the law like a stick, they detained me with an empty, fabricated file and arrested me at jet speed. They appointed a trustee in my place.

They usurped the will of the people. But there is one thing they do not know. We never bow our heads. We are walking this path with our heads held high and our resistance high.

Because those who lock us in the dungeon can imprison our bodies, but never our souls. With our steel will, we are resisting in a 12-square-meter cell for justice and freedom, with reason, patience, and perseverance, and with the awareness of our responsibility to our people.

My Precious Esenyurt Brothers and Sisters,

In the case we filed against the trustee coup, the court found us right and sent the file to the Constitutional Court. The result that will come out of this will be an example and precedent not only for Esenyurt but for all of Turkey.

My friends, I have never been afraid, intimidated, or backed down during these days of oppression and persecution. I have courageously gone over injustices and lawlessness. Our courage comes from our righteousness.

At this point, our Chairman Özgür Özel became a hope for us with his brave and determined stance. We have turned the courtrooms into platforms to expose these injustices and protect human dignity, led by our Presidential Candidate Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, whom I am honored to be a fellow traveler with.

Everything Is For A Freer Future, My Brothers and Sisters!

Our struggle and resistance are not just for ourselves, but to protect the rights and laws of the hundreds of thousands who elected us, that is, you, the people of Esenyurt. We are waging this struggle so that people can live at a level worthy of human dignity. We are doing it for equality, to live in a fairer world. Our struggle for a freer future will continue.

In this context, I wholeheartedly support the peace process and I want you to know that we are ready to do everything that falls to us for its success. I also extend my thanks to the representatives of all the parties who contributed, especially CHP Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel, DEM Co-Chairmen Mr. Tuncer Bakırhan and Ms. Tülay Hatimoğulları, for the support they gave and the role they undertook in this process.

Dear Friends,

I have been inside for a year. During this time, in the Silivri Dungeon, between four walls in a 12-square-meter cell, I have always stood tall, I have not bowed, because I know very well that I am right and that I am being held here for political calculations.

I have never let the precious trust you gave me fall to the ground. I also made my defenses in the courts on behalf of the people of Esenyurt. I never embarrassed you who deemed me worthy of this duty. I have always walked with pride, with a clear head and an open forehead, and I continue to walk.

My greatest sorrow is that while we were working at full speed day and night for Esenyurt (which the people of Esenyurt are the closest witnesses to), they suddenly blocked our way and prevented us from providing services.

Nietzsche says, "That which does not kill me, makes me stronger." I believe that I will come out of here stronger and better equipped.

Every day I spent here, I thought about Esenyurt, I followed Esenyurt, I developed new projects for Esenyurt.

The days are near when we will continue on our way with new goals, new projects, and renewed staff, even more motivated.

I believe that the people of Esenyurt are also waiting for us.

I want to end my words as follows.

My Precious Brothers and Sisters,

The struggle for democracy and freedom is the most honorable struggle of a human being. There are heavy costs in such periods. Thanks to those who do not refrain from paying these costs, our hopes for equality, justice, and freedom always remain alive. Our struggle will continue so as not to waste these hopes.

History tells us that those who are right will definitely win.

We are right, and we will definitely win.

When the darkness deepens, it means dawn is near.

Hoping to meet in free days at the freedom dawn of our country...

There is no salvation alone; either all together or none of us!

Silivri No. 9,

Prof. Dr. Ahmet ÖZER-Elected Mayor of Esenyurt"