Özgür Özel's first reaction to the investigation permit for Mansur Yavaş! A striking message regarding the presidential candidate

The Ministry of Interior has granted permission for an investigation into Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) Mayor Mansur Yavaş and his Chief of Staff Nevzat Uzunoğlu on charges of "misconduct in office" and "neglect of supervisory duty."

ABB Mayor Yavaş stated, "We will use our legal rights and appeal to the Council of State as soon as possible. I will share a more comprehensive statement with the public on Monday."

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, who is in Zonguldak, reacted to the granting of the investigation permit against Yavaş.

"We are in the midst of a process that began with intolerance and the targeting by someone who governs the country and is worried about losing the next election," said Özel, continuing as follows:

"This is no different from the result of March 19. We are dealing with someone who fears the ballot box and has established a 'Judiciary Branch Presidency'—a body that does not exist in any other party—because they do not trust their own women's branches, youth branches, or main staff. Whatever the goal was behind what was done to Ekrem İmamoğlu in Istanbul, they now want to initiate a process to carry out the same character assassination against Mansur Yavaş."

Özel stated, "Let's not beat around the bush. Ekrem İmamoğlu was our presidential candidate. Both I and Mr. Mansur went and voted for him in the primary. But they canceled Ekrem İmamoğlu's diploma. They are seeking a 2,400-year sentence. They think they have dealt with Ekrem İmamoğlu. Now, who is the presidential candidate this nation could choose against us? One of the strongest candidates is Mansur Yavaş. Now they are trying to put him in their crosshairs. The nation sees this."

The full text of Özel's statements is as follows:

"Dear friends, today we visited our Zonguldak Municipality. It is one of our 21 provincial municipalities. We are in the midst of a process where we have been tasked by the nation to serve 65% of Turkey, having won 14 Metropolitan Municipalities and 21 provincial municipalities, and we are facing intolerance and a process that began with the targeting by someone who governs the country and is worried about losing the next election. This is no different from the process of March 19, which was a civil coup process against the future government and the future President. We are dealing with someone who fears the ballot box, does not trust their own women's branches, youth branches, or main staff, and has established a body called the 'Judiciary Branch Presidency'—something that does not exist in any other party—and in this process, whatever the goal was behind what was done to Ekrem İmamoğlu in Istanbul, they now want to initiate a process to carry out the same character assassination against Mansur Yavaş. Inspectors came regarding this file, they worked, they wrote reports, and they found nothing regarding the mayor or his relevant chief of staff. Now they have turned back and want to start a new process by granting an investigation permit from the same place once again. It is clear they will not get a result from this. In other words, it is not result-oriented; it is a move they made solely to make Mr. Mansur Yavaş a subject of debate. Let's not beat around the bush. Ekrem İmamoğlu was our presidential candidate. Both I and Mr. Mansur went and voted for him in the primary. But they canceled Ekrem İmamoğlu's diploma. They are seeking a 2,400-year sentence. They think they have dealt with Ekrem İmamoğlu. Now, who is the presidential candidate this nation could choose against us? One of the strongest candidates is Mansur Yavaş. Now they are trying to put him in their crosshairs. The nation sees this.

If you are using the words 'Mansur Yavaş' and 'corruption' in the same sentence, it means there is bad faith here. We see this very clearly. The nation now knows that anyone who accuses Republican People's Party municipalities of corruption or irregularity is actually a slanderer in the eyes of the public and that what they are really afraid of is the upcoming presidential election. Other than that, for example, when we see a relationship that is truly incompatible with politics in Antalya or Bodrum, we cut ties with the party that very day, the first day. However, we stand behind our mayors to the end against these political operations. Furthermore, they asked Mr. Mansur questions about Ankapark. Melih Gökçek buried 1 billion dollars in Ankapark. He fed the money that should have gone to the nation's throat to dinosaurs and whatnot. No one asks him questions. They are asking Mansur Yavaş, who stopped that waste, opened that place to the service of the people of Ankara, and saved billions, about Ankapark. I mean, one really needs to feel a bit of shame; I have nothing else to say. In all likelihood, the Council of State will stay the execution of this action anyway."