Özel's jab at Erdoğan: You can't win the election if Trump isn't by your side, we are the ones who drove them into the sea

It was observed that citizens participated in large numbers in the CHP rally, which was the 105th since March 2025. In a letter sent from prison to the rally area, Ekrem İmamoğlu stated, "The more we resist honorably, the more dishonorably they stray from the path."

In an operation carried out last Friday at midnight, Mayor Onursal Adıgüzel and numerous municipal bureaucrats were detained.

CHP RALLY IN ATAŞEHİR IN SUPPORT OF ADIGÜZEL

While the mayor's detention process continues, citizens gathered at the CHP rally held in front of Ataşehir Municipality to protect their will. It was observed that citizens participated in large numbers in the rally, which was organized under the title, "We are protecting the will of the people of Ataşehir, our country, and our future!"

IMPORTANT STATEMENTS FROM ÖZGÜR ÖZEL IN ATAŞEHİR

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel made statements regarding the operations targeting CHP-run municipalities at the rally held in front of Ataşehir Municipality.

Starting his speech with the words, "Greetings to those who protect their will, to those who protect the mayor they elected," Özel recited the lines from the National Anthem: "I have lived in freedom since the beginning, and I shall live in freedom."

Stating that the detained Adıgüzel has served at every level of the CHP since the age of 18, Özel said, "(Onursal Adıgüzel) is a brother of ours who has established a throne in your hearts as a mayor who, despite all impossibilities in Ataşehir, has both accomplished significant work in municipal services and worked in the city of the Ancestor (Atatürk) befitting its name, leading the community and never leaving the streets or your side."

"THE NEW TARGET OF THE COUP PLOTTERS IS ONURSAL ADIGÜZEL"

Stating, "He has been working day and night in Ataşehir for two years, and now the new target of the March 19 coup plotters on the Anatolian side is Onursal Adıgüzel. The questions asked at the Police Department a short while ago and the answers given have been received by his lawyers," the CHP Chairman continued his remarks as follows:

"I am announcing it here, I am saying it here: There is not a single voice recording for Onursal Adıgüzel - and even if there were, what would it matter? The lawyers have proven that everyone in Istanbul dismisses such things everywhere - but there is no voice recording, no technical surveillance, no wiretapping, no statement saying 'Onursal Adıgüzel did this, bought this, sold this'..."

There is nothing! Since that is the case, they are in a position where they cannot even ask Onursal a question. They cannot ask questions, so they say: 'There is a criminal organization, and Onursal Adıgüzel is at the head of it.' Therefore, since I cannot find any connection, any link, any accusation, or any suspicion regarding him, I will define this matter as an 'organization' and hold Onursal responsible for everything, whatever there is and whatever there isn't. This, this situation is a case of being caught red-handed!"

"THE SLANDER WILL BE ACCOUNTED FOR"

Emphasizing that Onursal Adıgüzel is innocent, Özgür Özel said, "As Onursal's older brother and fellow traveler, I say that Onursal Adıgüzel is innocent; this slander will eventually be accounted for."

"I am saying this to those who are trying to tear him away from his young daughter, his wife Duygu, his mother, his father, and Ataşehir, which he loves more than his family, with such a conspiracy, and to those who might intend to do so tomorrow," said Özel, addressing the AKP members as follows:

"Come to your senses. Tomorrow the tables will turn, tomorrow there will be an election and the government will change. When someone emerges who finds a prosecutor, finds a prosecutor, finds a single deranged slanderer, and who has no evidence in hand but attempts to walk the path you have paved, there will be no AK Party mayor, no AK Party municipal council member, and no AK Party politician left in the future. Let everyone see what kind of path they are paving and what they are resorting to just because they cannot win an election."

"COME TO YOUR SENSES, DO NOT VIOLATE THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS"

Drawing attention to the 'forming an organization' accusation directed at the Mayor of Ataşehir, CHP leader Özel issued the following warning, stating, "They are creating an organizational chart from the municipality's structure:"

"Tomorrow they will do this to Konya, tomorrow they will do this to Kayseri, tomorrow they will do this retroactively. I state once again from here that what is being done is wrong, what is being done is injustice, it is a bad example, and it is opening a very dangerous path. If someone opens this path and leaves at the end of a 23-year rule, you cannot calculate who will pass through this path or who will be left behind. Therefore, come to your senses, do not violate the rights of others, and stand against the injustice done to our friends, not behind it."

The highlights of the speech given by CHP Chairman Özgür Özel at the Ataşehir rally are as follows:

"He is a brother of ours who has built a throne in your hearts as a mayor who, despite all the impossibilities in Ataşehir, has done important work in municipal services, worked in the city of the Ancestor (Atatürk) in a way that befits its name, led the community, and never left the streets or your side.

He has been working day and night in Ataşehir for two years, and now Onursal Adıgüzel is the new target of the March 19 coup plotters on the Anatolian side. The questions asked at the Police Department a short while ago and the answers given have been received by his lawyers.

I am announcing it here, I am saying it here: There is no voice recording for Onursal Adıgüzel - and even if there were, what would it matter? The lawyers proved that everyone in Istanbul dismisses such things everywhere - but there is no voice recording, no technical surveillance, no wiretapping, no statement saying 'Onursal Adıgüzel did this, took this, sold this'...

There is nothing! Since that is the case, they are in a position where they cannot even ask Onursal a question. They cannot ask questions, so they say: 'There is a criminal organization, and Onursal Adıgüzel is at the head of it.' That is why, since I cannot find any connection, link, allegation, or suspicion regarding him, I will define this as an 'organization' and hold Onursal responsible for everything, whatever it may be. This, this situation is a case of catching them red-handed!"

There is no accusation directed at Onursal. Tomorrow, they will do this retroactively. What is being done is opening a very dangerous path. If someone opens this path and leaves at the end of a 23-year rule, you cannot calculate who will pass through this path and who will be left behind. Therefore, come to your senses. Do not violate the rights of the people.

Do not be a part of this conspiracy. The ant has a brother, and that is the people of Ataşehir.

I am addressing the members of the judiciary. I am addressing those who commit judicial murder and the vultures who have descended upon it. Both the people and God will hold you accountable!

Trump, who calls the Israeli murderer of Palestinians, Netanyahu, his 'war hero'—good luck to Erdoğan, let him use him to his heart's content!

Tom Barrack arrogantly says, 'Democracy doesn't work here; soft monarchies and one-man rule are needed.' We will stand up to all imperialists like you. The arrogant envoy of crazy Trump is 'persona non grata'; let him go back to his country. They tell us, 'Don't talk like that, you can't win the election if Trump isn't by your side.' We are the ones who drove them into the sea. The only thing we need to defeat you all is to win the election."

İMAMOĞLU: "THEY HAVE STUCK THEMSELVES INTO SUCH A SWAMP..."

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who has been imprisoned at Marmara Prison in Silivri since March 23, 2025, sent a letter to the citizens who gathered in Ataşehir to support Onursal Adıgüzel.

In his letter, read by CHP İstanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik, İmamoğlu stated the following:

"Dear Istanbulites, precious Ataşehir residents, my dear fellow citizens... They detained our Mayor Onursal Adıgüzel in a midnight operation, targeting the will and honor of Ataşehir. The more bravely we resist, the more dishonorably they stray from the path. As we expose their lies and slanders in the Silivri courtroom, they chase after new conspiracies. They struggle to cover their lies with even bigger ones. They are running from the people and clinging to lies."

"They have sunk into such a quagmire that the more they amplify their slanders and lies, the smaller they become in the eyes of the nation. As they increase pressure and tyranny to try to frighten and intimidate us, our courage and resistance grow. On one side, there is a handful of people obsessed with their seats; on the other, there are millions of us who love our country! On one side are those blinded by the fear of becoming nobodies once they lose their seats; on the other are we, who multiply by the millions! We cannot be counted on fingers, nor can we be exhausted by being broken..."

"WE ARE THE 10 MILLIONS, BRAVE, FAITHFUL, AND GOOD-HEARTED, DEDICATED TO A JUST CAUSE..."

"We will change this unjust and rotten order they have imposed on our country. Even if you imprison every one of us, even if not a single Republican People's Party member remains outside, we will succeed. Because our cause is the cause of the Republic and democracy. Our cause is the cause of justice and freedom for all. Our cause is the cause of prosperity, abundance, and welfare for all. We are the 10 millions, brave, faithful, and good-hearted, dedicated to a just cause. Of course, we will win. Do not look at the darkness spread across the country by those struggling in their death throes. The ballot box will be set up, and the nation will cast its seal. They will lose, and the millions will win. Everything will be very beautiful! Ekrem İmamoğlu. Silivri Dungeon."