Özgür Özel calls for 'house arrest' for İmamoğlu! 'If they are so afraid of Ekrem Bey...'

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel made statements regarding the IMM case, which began on March 9 and for which an interim decision is expected to be announced at the end of April.

Speaking to journalist Murat Yetkin, Özel responded to the question, "In government circles, there is talk such as 'If he is released, İmamoğlu will get on the bus,' or 'They will say they won a victory, and then we won't be able to take it back.' You must be hearing this too. What do you say to this?" as follows:

"Yes, I am hearing it. But this already shows that the case is political. Can the justification for a person's detention be 'if he is released, he will conduct a political campaign'? Let me descend to their lawless ground and think like them: if they are so afraid of Ekrem Bey, if they are so afraid of his street performance, they should at least give him house arrest." 

Özel continued his words as follows:

"There is nothing more natural than Ekrem Bey wanting his freedom immediately. However, I believe that he would accept this as well. We want all our friends to be tried without arrest, and of course, Ekrem Bey as well. Since they are afraid that he will go out on the street, they should give him house arrest. At least the torture of isolation in a high-security prison would end. Just as anger has accumulated among those who love Ekrem Bey due to the prolongation of the detentions, those in power have also become unable to defend such long-term detention. Releases would generally lower the tension. This would be good for the families, good for us, and actually, although the government is not aware of it, it would also be good for Turkey. I believe that with the release of Ekrem Bey and his friends, the stock market would break records, Turkey's risk premium would fall, and positive echoes would come from all over the world."