First statement from Zafer Party following Özdağ's detention ruling: 'He has been removed from politics by judicial means'

Zafer Party Spokesperson Azmi Karamahmutoğlu stated regarding the decision to continue the detention of Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ, "Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ, who is inside, is a political prisoner.

His detention has nothing to do with law or legislation. Because he exposed the inner workings of the negotiation table established regarding the PKK and Abdullah Öcalan, and because he informed and raised awareness among the public, voters, and Turkish citizens, Ümit Özdağ—who is at the forefront of politicians who would lead a social opposition against this ongoing negotiation—has been removed from politics by judicial means," he said.

Ümit Özdağ was detained in Ankara one day after his remarks at his party's Provincial Chairmen Consultation Meeting in Antalya on January 19, where he said regarding President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, "No Crusade in the last thousand years has caused as much damage to the Turkish nation and the Turkish state as Erdoğan and the AKP have." Brought to the Istanbul Police Department and subsequently taken to the Istanbul Courthouse, Özdağ was arrested on charges of "publicly inciting the people to hatred and hostility."

It has been decided that the detention of Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ, who has been held in a single-person cell at the Marmara Penal Execution Institution in Silivri for 142 days, will continue. Following the decision, Zafer Party Spokesperson Azmi Karamahmutoğlu made statements in Silivri and noted the following:

“ÖZDAĞ WILL CONTINUE TO BE TRIED WHILE IN DETENTION”

"The court, which began at 10:30 this morning in the courtroom at the Silivri Campus, concerned a case opened against Zafer Party Chairman Prof. Dr. Ümit Özdağ for inciting the public to hatred and hostility.

Mr. Özdağ is entering his 5th month in Silivri prison. To tell the truth, we were expecting a release at today's hearing. We expected that even if he had received a sentence, at least a verdict would have been reached or a date would have been set for a trial without detention, but unfortunately, none of these happened. Today, the court decided to continue his detention and adjourned the hearing to a later date.

There are both Zafer Party members and volunteer, patriotic people who are not Zafer Party members who have come here from various provinces of Turkey. They came to support; the truth is, what they expected today was to embrace Mr. Ümit, to take him and leave, but it did not happen. We will leave Mr. Ümit Özdağ in his single-person cell in Silivri prison again and go to our homes. The court panel that made this decision will also go to their homes this evening, lay their heads on their cool pillows, and sleep, but Ümit Özdağ will continue to be tried while in detention.

“IT IS A CLAIM THAT CANNOT EVEN BE MATERIAL FOR HUMOR”

The reason for the detention is the suspicion of flight and the suspicion of tampering with evidence, yet all evidence has been collected, and this suspicion has now disappeared. To speak of a suspicion of flight regarding Mr. Ümit Özdağ is a claim that cannot even be material for humor.

When we look at why there is insistence on the decision for detention during trial, we must return to the date of January 19; it is for torment. It is to torment Mr. Ümit Özdağ. He had said from the very beginning that what was being done was enemy criminal law. Today, one of Mr. Ümit Özdağ's defense attorneys, academic Prof. Dr. Savaş Özdağ, sought to correct this. He used the term brute force instead of enemy criminal law. Brute force is being applied to Mr. Ümit Özdağ.

It is not law and legislation, but brute force that is being applied. Now, the decision to continue the hearing with him in detention is also a state of brute force, an application of enemy criminal law.

“HE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM POLITICS BY JUDICIAL MEANS”

All evidence has been collected, and the materials that are the subject of the case in the indictment have also been gathered. There have been times when hearings were postponed for 2 months, and now, looking at it, 1 week seems short, but we would like those who see this date as short to be kept in a cell for 7 days so they can empathize. We cannot predict what will happen after a week.

Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ, who is inside, is a political prisoner.

His detention has nothing to do with law or legislation. Because he exposed the inner workings of the negotiation table established regarding the PKK and Abdullah Öcalan, because he informed and raised awareness among the public, voters, and Turkish citizens, and to prevent a social opposition from rising against this ongoing negotiation, Ümit Özdağ—who is at the forefront of politicians who would lead this—has been removed from politics by judicial means.

This state of being removed from politics, which was previously carried to 5 months when the preparation of the indictment was delayed, and delayed in the long term, is now being continued with 1-week intervals. We have not brought the possibility of a conviction for Ümit Özdağ to our minds, and we do not."