Özgür Özel reacts to 'detention is the transfer fee for Çerçioğlu's move to AKP': Speaks on 'Kuşadası operation'

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel, in a statement made after an iftar program he attended in Manisa, argued that the detention of Kuşadası Mayor Ömer Günel was political, stating, "This process is the transfer fee for Aydın Metropolitan Municipality's switch to the AKP."

In his assessment regarding the detention of Kuşadası Mayor Ömer Günel, Özel claimed that the process was political. Questioning why Günel was detained in Istanbul instead of Aydın, Özel argued that the proceedings were part of "smear campaigns against the CHP being conducted from Istanbul."

Özel stated, "Why is a mayor being detained in a morning operation when he could have been summoned with a single phone call? Why is he still being held in custody despite having given his statement?"

"THE TRANSFER FEE FOR THE MOVE TO AKP"

Speaking on Aydın Metropolitan Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu's resignation from the CHP to join the AKP, Özel evaluated the process under three headings. Özel said, "Escaping the Aziz İhsan Aktaş case, the sudden closure of investigations that have been ongoing for years, and the stripping of the freedom of Ömer Günel, whom she holds a grudge against. These are the transfer fees for Aydın Metropolitan Municipality's move to the AK Party."

SPOKE ABOUT THE BÜLENT ARINÇ VISIT

"When I was elected, Mr. Bülent Arınç came to visit. Both he and his son did not leave us alone during our difficult days. He had invited me to his iftar here last week during Ramadan; when I could not attend, I went for a return visit to offer Ramadan greetings.

Of course, we discussed many topics, but as you know, someone from Türkiye newspaper—both on television that evening and on TGRT—made a lot of untrue statements as if they were there that day. It would not have been appropriate for me to refute them; it fell to Mr. Bülent. Mr. Bülent published a full-page rebuttal in Nefes newspaper today without delay."

Everything Bülent Bey said must have surely embarrassed that journalist by now. I mean, he said such unrealistic things that we never even discussed. We didn't even talk about the part where Bülent Arınç said, 'I didn't open my tweet.' I mean, Mr. Bülent Arınç very politely stated that trial without detention is necessary, that there should be trust in the courts, and that these conditions create distrust.

It was extremely polite; we talked mostly about Manisa. I mean, whatever we talked about most, it was about Manisa. We talked about Ferdi, we talked about Gülşah, we talked about Ramazan, we talked about the iftar in Manisa, and we talked about the interests of Manisa. We also made general assessments regarding Turkish politics. As for those who try to derive political gain from a Ramadan conversation and try to do so by practicing journalism, what can I say? They asked me, 'What will you say?' I said it is not my place to deny it; he wrote it as if it came from Bülent Bey's mouth. Today, he denied it himself; we leave that journalist to the conscience of his readers, friends.