CHP leader Özel delivers striking response to Çerçioğlu's defection to AKP: 'We gave him titles he didn't deserve'

The Republican People's Party (CHP) has continued its 'The Nation Stands Up for Its Will' rallies, which it launched following the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

As with previous rallies, large numbers of citizens attended the rally held in Bayrampaşa. The event began with the reading of a message from İBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Following İmamoğlu's message, in which he said 'We are at a point of no return,' CHP leader Özgür Özel took the floor:

"CHP IS TURKEY'S NUMBER ONE PARTY"

The following are the key points from CHP leader Özgür Özel's speech:

"Right now, the Republican People's Party is Turkey's number one party.

Today I was in Silivri. Your Mayor Ekrem, elected with your rightful votes, sends his greetings to this square. Please accept them, dear residents of Bayrampaşa.

(Addressing Erdoğan) You say 'let's join hands in the earthquake' and then throw İmamoğlu behind bars.

Akın Gürlek is living in a villa on the Bosphorus that was restored for him personally. They call it a prosecutor's residence. The money spent was 56 million lira — they had it renovated.

They give teachers a 1 million lira bonus.

They had FETÖ steal exam questions in their time. This year they played with the dreams of our 14-year-old children. They tainted the LGS with scandal.

They issued diplomas without anyone attending school. They turned a carpet dealer into a psychologist and a drug dealer into a narcotics branch director.

They issued a fake diploma to a crackpot who calls himself an Ottoman descendant — when asked about it, he said 'I got it to run for president.'

The unqualified man at our helm, afraid to hand his seat to someone with a real diploma, had İmamoğlu's diploma annulled while also arranging a fake diploma for the so-called Ottoman descendant — supposedly preparing the seat for him.

They came at us with the Ak Toros gang. We didn't surrender; we exposed them.

I mentioned Mehmet Yıldırım. A lawyer was going around one by one telling people: 'The prosecutor says if you slander, if you accuse Mayor Ekrem, you'll be acquitted.' From some they demanded large sums of money. We documented all of it. We exposed it last week. They went silent for a full day. They dismissed the lawyer. He was caught trying to flee to the Greek islands. They brought that lawyer in. While they arrested our friends who went in voluntarily, they caught him fleeing and put him under house arrest. Do you know why? Because if they put him inside, he'd say 'how can you throw me out when I did what you told me to.' He's sitting at home like a pasha. We will not let go of that gang's collar.

Today we submitted to the HSK the documentation of all the allegations we have made. I am addressing the Minister of Justice. I gave the names of those who were exiled because they did not testify as the prosecutor wished. The Minister of Justice opened an investigation against me because I said 'hey' to him.

Tomorrow — I am announcing it — wait for noon. A gift is coming on the founding anniversary of the AK Party. Mr. Tayyip, wait for noon tomorrow. The Ak Toros gang is collapsing. The AK Party is collapsing. You said you'd steal a mayor from us — let's see what face you'll put on when you do it.

Tomorrow at noon we'll see — both the white side and the black side!

Until today, we gave the 'heeled efe' titles he didn't deserve.

I swear we will take back that Aydın. We will save the country from vote thieves and all other thieves.

I am addressing Erdoğan. Look at this wrist — it is the wrist of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk; you will not bend it. I am speaking to Erdoğan, who first whitewashed and then stole from the mayor we expelled from the party in Gaziantep for corruption. It will not go unpunished, it will not go unpunished!

Özgür Özel:

— Tayyip Bey, hani "Turpun büyüğü heybede" diyorsun ya… Heybede tutmayacağım, yarını bekle.

— Yarın saat 12'de Ak Toroslar çetesi çöküyor, AK Parti çöküyor.

— Hani siz bizden belediye başkanı çalacaktınız ya yarın göreceğiz bakalım yüzünüz kaça çalacak. pic.twitter.com/ZbpzteF58e

— 12punto (@12puntocomtr) August 13, 2025

İMAMOĞLU: WE ARE AT A POINT OF NO RETURN

CHP İstanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik read out İmamoğlu's message to the rally crowd:

"Dear residents of Bayrampaşa — Istanbul's young, dynamic district — good-hearted, courageous people, my beloved fellow citizens; esteemed ladies and gentlemen, our wonderful youth, our children. I greet you with love, respect, and longing. Bayrampaşa, home to the Grand Istanbul Bus Terminal, is one of Istanbul's most important gateways in and out of the city. But unfortunately, for years it did not receive the services it deserved. The Grand Istanbul Bus Terminal did not receive them, and neither did Bayrampaşa. As soon as we took office in 2019, we turned our attention to the Grand Istanbul Bus Terminal, used by hundreds of thousands of our citizens every day. We completely renovated it, making it modern, clean, and safe. We opened many educational and activity spaces such as a library, a sports centre, and a music recording studio. We made the terminal worthy of Istanbul and its people."

"WE HAVE NOT BEEN, AND WILL NOT BE, AMONG THOSE WHO DISREGARD THE NATION"

"Just as with the Grand Istanbul Bus Terminal, we put an end to years of neglect throughout Bayrampaşa. We carried out large-scale square and street improvements and infrastructure investments. We opened student dormitories, community centres, and crèches. We carried out urban transformation projects. We broke ground on the Eyüpsultan–Bayrampaşa Tram Line, implemented entirely with our own resources. You appreciated our action-oriented, people-centred approach to governance and brought Mayor Hasan Mutlu to office so that it could continue and grow stronger. He is serving you with the same understanding. We are working for you under all circumstances and will continue to do so. Because for us, the duty entrusted by the nation is above all else. We have not been, and will not be, among those who abuse the authority given by the nation or who disregard the nation."

"THIS GOVERNMENT'S QUARREL IS WITH THE NATION"

"Dear residents of Bayrampaşa; this government, which pressures our esteemed judges who make decisions on behalf of the Turkish nation and tries to turn them into mere order-takers, has a quarrel with the nation. They commit every form of lawlessness and every form of wrongdoing so that the nation's will does not prevail and the national will cannot be freely expressed. Look at the course of the cases opened against me. Every judge who acted in accordance with the law and their conscience and ruled in my favour is being exiled. Their aim is to push me out of politics through the judiciary and to usurp the nation's right to free choice. A nation whose right to free choice has been usurped is a nation held captive in its own homeland. Our noble nation did not allow such a dishonour and will not allow it. Those who see themselves as the owners of the state will be drowned in their own greed by the force of the national will."

"WE ARE AT A POINT OF NO RETURN"

"We are now at a point of no return. Either unconditional justice will prevail in this country, or we will all become victims of captivity and misery. That is why our struggle is, above all, a struggle for justice and freedom. We set out not only for ourselves, but for everyone — to secure justice and freedom everywhere. Not only in the courts; we will deliver justice in earned income, in taxes paid. We will deliver justice in school classrooms, in hospital corridors, in government offices. We will deliver justice in streets, in squares, on coastlines, in fields, in factories. We will always act with this understanding: for everyone, everywhere — justice first, freedom first!"

"WE WILL BUILD A STRONG, PROSPEROUS, GREAT TURKEY"

"Our 86 million citizens — each the sole owner and equal shareholder of this paradise homeland — will share both the burdens and the blessings of this country with justice. The state's primary duty will be to protect and advance everyone's rights and freedoms to the fullest. We will build a strong, prosperous, great Turkey. But this will be a Turkey that reflects its strength and prosperity to all its citizens as freedom, welfare, and happiness. This will be a land of justice, freedom, and brotherhood.

This will be a land of hardworking, free, and happy people who live without financial hardship and without fear of the future. It won't be long now. A handful of people will lose; the nation will win. Everything will be wonderful. Ekrem İmamoğlu. Silivri Prison."