First statement from Özgür Çelik after giving testimony: There is oppression in this country

Çelik gave his statement as part of an investigation into the 2023 CHP İstanbul Provincial Congress. In a statement following the process, Çelik said, "First of all, I would like to state this: The claims made by the individual currently in custody are highly contradictory. We will share these claims and our testimony with the public."

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is continuing an investigation launched into the 2023 CHP İstanbul Provincial Chairmanship election over allegations of "election rigging and violation of the Law on Political Parties."

As part of the investigation, CHP İstanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik arrived at the Istanbul Police Department's Financial Crimes Investigation Branch to provide his statement.

Following the proceedings, which lasted approximately two hours, Çelik spoke in front of the police headquarters on Vatan Street, stating that he was called to testify after a detained individual made statements regarding his party's provincial congress.

Stating that 10 people have provided testimony following the allegation that the individual in question was offered benefits to vote for him, Çelik pointed out that there are many contradictions in the detained person's claims.

Key highlights from Çelik's statement are as follows:

Valued members of the press, dear citizens, we came to the Vatan Police Department to give our statements together with our 39 district chairs, our Provincial Women's Branch Chair, and our Provincial Youth Branch Chair. We have completed our testimony process at the Vatan Police Department. First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the 39 district chairs of Istanbul, our Provincial Women's Branch Chair, our Provincial Youth Branch Chair, our Deputy Chairman, our Party Assembly members, and our party members and citizens who came here despite us not making any call, for accompanying us during this testimony process.

Today, according to our findings, the testimony process took place for 10 of our friends, including myself. Among them are our Pendik and Beykoz district chairs and some of our party members. So why did we give statements at the Vatan Police Department today? We gave our statements due to the remarks made by an individual currently in custody regarding the Istanbul Provincial Congress. The individual's claim is as follows: Two lists competed in the Istanbul Provincial Congress. The lists of Özgür Çelik and Cemal Can Polat competed. Third parties offered me benefits to vote for Özgür Çelik's list.

First of all, I would like to state this: The allegations made by the individual currently in custody are highly contradictory. We will share these allegations and the statement I provided with the public.

In his statements, the individual claims that the Istanbul Provincial Congress took place in August 2023 and that I called him during that period. However, in August 2023, I was the Bahçelievler District Chair and was a candidate for the Bahçelievler District Congress to be held on August 20. I competed in that congress and won. Afterwards, I became a candidate for the Provincial Chairmanship in Istanbul with the joint request of the district chairs and won the congress with the support of 26 district chairs. Since that day, I have been walking this path with 39 district chairs. Today, we are here again with our 39 district chairs.

Another contradictory claim by the individual is that I called him first via a normal call and then via FaceTime. However, when I was a candidate for the Provincial Chairmanship, I called all 600 delegates and said the same things to all of them: 'There are two candidates in the Istanbul Provincial Congress. One is Cemal Can Polat, who previously served as Provincial Chair; I am someone who has served as a district chair for 6 years. I am younger, I work harder, I run faster. Therefore, I am asking for your support.' HTS records are proof that I made these standard calls. The duration of my conversation with the person in question is the same as the duration of my conversations with other delegates.

Furthermore, this person says in his statements, 'I am a delegate candidate on Cemal Can Polat's list.' However, he is a candidate for executive board member at the 18th spot on that list. Even this shows how baseless his slanders are. Republican People's Party (CHP) congresses are democratic competitions. There is no winner or loser. However, if a person who emerges from a losing list tries to discredit the congress after losing, and an investigation is opened based on this, every election held from now on becomes open to being tainted. If the individual had truly received an offer of benefits, he could have said so in front of the delegates at the congress held on October 8, 2023. But he did not. He remained silent before, during, and after the congress. Then he was arrested and came up with these slanders to get out of prison.

"THERE IS OPPRESSION IN THIS COUNTRY"

We are very familiar with this process. I said it inside, and I am saying it here too: A mechanism of slander has been established under the name of 'effective remorse.' People are trying to get out of prison with promises of freedom by accusing others. For 250 days, an unprecedented oppression has been taking place in this country. The process that started with Esenyurt continued with the arrest of our mayors on May 31. People are subjected to psychological torture at the Vatan Police Headquarters for 4 days and then sent to prison. Afterwards, they are forced to slander by being threatened with their children, their freedom, and their assets. A 'slander and get free' order has been established.

Now they are trying to taint the Istanbul Congress. The goal is very clear: to damage the reputation of the Republican People's Party, which is Turkey's leading party, in the eyes of the public and to cover up the real problems of society. Another one of their goals is to cover up the real problems of Turkey. 

We are ranked first in food inflation among OECD countries. We are behind many countries in terms of the rule of law. Women are not safe on the streets, income inequality is growing, and young people are worried about their future. They do not want these to be discussed. Instead, they target the CHP. They arrest Ayşe Barım so that artists do not speak. They arrest Fatih Altaylı so that journalists remain silent. They open investigations into TÜSİAD so that the business world does not speak. Detentions are carried out so that young people do not take to the streets. There are still party leaders who are in prison. They want everyone to be afraid, everyone to be silent. They want to create a Turkey without opposition, without the CHP.

But we will never allow this. This struggle is between a handful of oligarchs and the nation. Behind the oligarchs are imperialists, pro-government media, a politicized judiciary, law enforcement, and propaganda apparatuses. Behind the nation, however, are rights, law, and justice. What did our Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel say? 'I will not take a millimeter step back, I will not bow an inch.' We, too, will continue our struggle without taking a millimeter step back or bowing an inch. The ballot box will come before the nation. Justice will prevail, the people will prevail.

CHP Deputy Chairman Özgür Karabat, district chairs, and party members also attended the statement.