Özgür Özel speaks at the CHP rally in Beşiktaş: 'You are breaking records in lies and slander'

CHP's imprisoned Presidential Candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has been held in the Marmara Prison in Silivri since March 23, 2025.

Following İmamoğlu's arrest, the CHP launched the 'The Nation Protects Its Will' rallies with the demand for 'Early elections and freedom for İmamoğlu', whichbegan with the demand for 'The Nation Protects Its Will'The 81st stop of the 'Defending the National Will' rallies was the Beşiktaş districtof Istanbul.

CHP CHAIRMAN ÖZCRITICAL STATEMENTS FROM ÖZEL IN BEŞİKTAŞ

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel addressed the tens of thousands of citizens who flocked to Barbaros Square despite the cold weather.

Özel's statementsare as followsthose whocome totheforefront areshowingas follows:

CHP ChairmanÖzgür Özel made statementsregarding the arrests of CHP members at Beşiktaş Barbaros Square, where citizens had gathered.Hespoke.

SHe began his words with "Hello to the beautiful people of our Beşiktaş! Hello to the beautiful people of Istanbul! We are in the middle of winter. The weather is freezing cold. The frost bites to the bone. At this hour, one would expect everyone to be in their homes, but in this square, those who have taken off their slippers and pajamas those whobring it out, those who leave fear at home and come to the protest," Özel began, saying Özel continued as follows:

"For days, I have been sayingthis: IIf, if we are not afraid, if wedo not back down from thestruggle, believe me, it depends on the support you give, your determination, and the energy of these squares. There are those who are here, and there are those whoseheartsare here. Today,I received greetings from an 88-year-old uncle through his daughter, Ms. Ayşe. She says: "Chairman, callI am shouting, but I cannot get up and go, I am veryold. I swear, I am taking off my pajamas andputting on trousers just so I won't embarrass the party leader." Ikissyour heart, my uncle.We greet with respect those who are in this square and those who areunable to be in this square but are with us in spirit.We greet you with respect.

Daysand months have passed, the calendars have shed their pages one by one, and it has been exactly 300 days since the March 19 coup. And tonight, we are in this square,we are in Beşiktaş square. Today has a dual significance.Today is the 300th day of the March 19 coup, and we are inthe first year of the imprisonment of Beşiktaş's own son, Rıza Akpolat, on this dark day.day. To these 365 dark days, to the 300 dark days that have passed since the coup, in these days to these beautiful people, to these innocent people, to these families, to these children, I have a few wordsfor those who make them suffer: Sooner or later, that ballot box will come! Sooner or laThe AK Party's corrupt order will end! This regime willbe toppled, justice will prevail!"

Continuing his remarks to the accompaniment of citizens' chants of 'Theday will come, the tide will turn, the AKP will be held accountable to the people',CHP ChairmanÖzel said,"Remem ber"Let us remember together. First, first in the March 31 elections, the nation made a decision. With that decision, our party, for the first time in 47 years, emerged from an election as the leading party. The Justice and Development Party also, for the first time since the day it was founded, lost an election and became the second party. For 47 years, we never, ever turned and acted against the national willWe did not speak over the word of the nation.We were saddened, we looked for the fault in ourselves.We did not lash out at the nation, we did not resent the nation.We did not turn our backs on the ballot box.We did not lose hope in democracy,he said.We did not lose hope in democracy," he said.

"But those who lose an election for once, those who say"national will, national will" when they win, have been at a loss as to what to do when they lose," said Özel andcontinued as follows:

"We would like to remindyou from here, and I am saying this not to this square, not to CHP members, not to those in the Nation Alliance, but to AK Party members: One ortwo"The democratic nature of a person, a movement, or a party is not measured bywhat they do on the evening they win anelection; it is not measured by what they do when they win an election.Whether a movement or a party is democratic is measured bywhat they dowhen they lose an election.is looked at."

CHP's Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat's reminding of his arrest in the investigation regarding Aziz İhsan Aktaş, Özel said, "Rıza, my brother, I am sayingthis to you: Aziz İhsan Aktaş is a member of the organizationRıza Akpolat. Aziz İhsan Aktaş is being tried with a 704-year sentence and is walking free, but Rıza Akpolat; from Parliament, the Court of Accounts, the Court of Cassation, Turkish Airlines and from AK Partyhundreds of municipalities, who receives contracts, is walking free. Not a single question is asked of the places where he receives contracts," he said, continuing hisremarks He continued as follows:

"Not a single question is asked of the AK Party municipalities that receive contracts, and not a single file is requested, yet Rıza Akpolat has been unjustly held in prison for a year. From here, I salute Rıza Akpolat, our Deputy Mayor Ali Rıza Yılmaz, and our municipal council members; "Slander them, or else you will spend years even though they were told "you cannot get out," we embrace with love and respect all ourbureaucrats who rejected immoral offers by saying "We are not people who would slander anyone."We embrace them with love and respect.We embrace them with love and respect.

In the process that began with thedetentionof Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19,university studentsreminding them of the supportfrom theirstudents, CHP Chairman Özel, startingwith Istanbul University, Boğaziçi, I bowwith respect before the studentsof ITU andall the universities in Istanbul," he said.

SFollowing the start of theprocess, addressing those whodid not leave them alone during theprotests, Özel said, "To those who gatheredin front of the Vatan Police Headquarters for four days and nights, as iftheir own child was in custody,to those at Sarathose flowing to the squareto overcome obstacles and protect their will iof those who came out before you, I bow with respect before all of you" he said.he spoke.

AKP President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan'squestions regardingthe 'octopus' metaphor he used for the investigation, the CHP Chairman brought back to the agenda, saying, "Where... where was that octopus, huh? Where were its arms, huh? When the indictment was released, we wouldn't be able to look each other in the face."Where is it? Where is the indictment thatwas supposed to make people unable togoout? Where is the indictment that was supposed to make people unable togoout? If there is anyone who cannot go out, it is the one who appointed that prosecutor there," he said, and uttered the followingwords:

"It is the one who believes that prosecutor and slanders us all summer long. For 300 days, I have beendiligently keeping a record.They claimed there was 560 billion in corruption, but they could not prove even 560 kurusin the indictment. They said one thousand two hundred mobile phones were boughtand distributed, but they could not write it in the indictment. They could not find a single piece of evidence. They were left under the weight of this lie without any shame."

CHP RESPONDS TO AKP'S ANTI-IMM POSTERS

CHP ChairmanÖzgür Özel,who reacted at the Beşiktaş rally to theanti-IMM postersthat the AKP has put up all over Istanbul,filed a defamation lawsuit against the AKP.will doannounced.

"They arrested the municipal bureaucrats,as you know. They rounded up all the companiesthat do business with the municipality. They appointed trustees to these companies and seized them. Then they made an offer to these companies. 'If you sign this, youwill get out,' they said, Özel said, "If you make this slander,you get your company back. You do this, you do that. Inside those companies,there were all the companies that won the tenders for these billboards and advertising spaces in Istanbul.They appointed trustees to these companies. Now, theyhave come out and put the AK Party's new slanders on all those billboards; from there, they are attacking the Republican People's Party and the Istanbul MThey are attacking the MetropolitanMunicipality," he said.

"YOU FRAUDS"

Reminding that some of thebillboards featuring the posters in question belong to the İlbak Group, whose owner wasdetained in an operation targeting the IMM,the CHP leader said, "The poor man said, 'I didn't do business with the CHP, I mainly did business with the AKP for years.' They let him go, then that company's ball the billboardstodaythey hung the AK Party's advertisementson them," he said.

Reacting harshly to the statements on the AKP's posters, Özgür Özel said,"The advertisements say to the people of Istanbul, 'It is coming out of your life.' The advertisement is not an advertisement, it is a barefaced lie, a barefaced lie. It says cemeteries are being opened to zoningdevelopment.was closed,' he said, and asked the citizens gathered in the square, 'Has anyone ever heard of a cemetery opened for development in Istanbul?'Heposed the question.The crowd,in unison, responded to Özel's questionwith a 'No'.

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel responded to the AKP's claims that the 'CHP stopped the metro construction projects in the IMM' by recalling a previous incidentand said the following:"They say the IMM's debts

arehigh."it multiplied. Just in December, a maturing debt of 655 million dollars taken from abroadwas paid abroad,debt was paid.He says they stopped the subways.Look, the person who became the Minister of Transport in parliament from here was thatdeputy secretary general responsible for railsystems of that period. It was Mr. Adil, wasn't it? He was the first to say this in parliament,"the subways"you stopped". Istood before him. I said, "There are 10 metro construction projects here. During yourterm, during youradministration, you stopped them claiming no funds could be found". He swallows hard.

What did Ekrem İmamoğlu do? He brought in one of our own, Ms. Pelin, from Japan; he brought Ms. Pelin, who was in charge of high-speed rail systems in Japan. He put her in charge of rail systems. He made her deputy secretary-general. In theworld, when it comes to metro loans, Ms. Pelinis thethose who see hat took off.

How many metro constructions are we building? We are building 10. Currently, 7 of them are ongoing. We set all 10 of the 10 metros into motion. 3 of them are in this pewithinare being opened, 7 of them are still under construction. I am going to the test drives of the completed onesmyself!You frauds! 3 were opened. I opened one of them with Mayor EkremmyselfI opened. 3'we are opening this year6, and the construction of 4 of them will continue next year. There is no stalled metro project."

"YOU ARE BREAKING RECORDS IN LIES AND SLANDER"

"Right now, I amopenly stating, Ms. PelinI spoke at the openingthat took placewith him. In the coming days, we will open a metroand we have applied, we are bringing the Guinness World Records, said Özel, andcontinued as follows:

"Istanbul has become the city with the most metro constructionprojects simultaneously and the city thatmakes the most metro progress in a single day. We are entering the book ofrecords, while you are breaking recordsin lies and slander. You frauds!"

"On behalf of 16 million Istanbulites, on behalf of 16 million Istanbulites, a colleague of ours, our Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik willgo tomorrow and, on behalf of 16 million Istanbulites, will file a defamation lawsuit against the Justice and Development Party.We are filing a defamation lawsuitagainsttheAK Party; because they are mocking the intelligence of the nation."

"THE NATION KNOWS WHAT IS WHAT"

Emphasizing that the AKP is mocking the nation, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel said, "Shameless, you are shameless! To those shameless peoplewho plaster those billboards,I say: You jammed stones into the escalators that had been running for 5 years,for 5 years," continuing hisremarks .continued as follows:

"For 5 years, for 5 years you rented public buses,you put in junk, you burned their engines, and when asked, you said, "We are filming a movie, brother." In the evening news, you said,"The IMM's buses are burningdue to lack of maintenance." This country was saved from the hands of the profiteers by Ekrem İmamoğlu, saved from the hands of the profiteers."Ekrem İmamoğlu saved this country from the hands of the profiteers, he saved it from the hands of the profiteers."

"To those billboards, to the shameless person who put up those billboards,I am telling those shameless people: You are mocking the intelligence of the public, you are mocking the nation.How many nurserieswere there duringyour term?Zero.Does the nation not see the 127 nurseries?Does the nation not know about the 17 student dormitories?Does the nation not feed itself at the 19 City Restaurants? Does the nation not know about the mother card? Does the nation not know about the 'Welcome Baby' project?milk supportor protein support? The nation, this nation..."

"ERDOĞAN, IF YOU HAVE THE COURAGE, PUT THE BALLOT BOX IN ISTANBUL"

Addressing AKP President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan from Barbaros Square, Özgür Özel said, "Erdoğan, I have a proposal for you," andspoke asfollows:

"We want early elections. We are touring city by city with 25.5 million signatures, yet you are still runningaway. Since you cannot dare to do that, you even stooped toappointing a trustee, you had the intention. Istanbul Metropolitancity as well. Now, I am making a proposal to Erdoğan in the presence of the nation. Come, let usMetropolitanMunicipality, by having allmunicipal council members resign, decide to renew the IMMelections.

My, my candidateis clear. My candidate is Ekrem İmamoğlu. You, the strongesttrustedthe candidate of emerges. The people of Istanbul knowthe metro that is working, they know the construction being done, and they know the service. 60 days laterafter the IMM elIf you can win the elections, if you can defeat Mayor Ekrem, then you can take the IMM as well, and you will gain power for what comes after that.I have one condition: We will hold the elections, and the decision will be made by thenoble Turkish nation,the people of Istanbul will decide; after that, get your hands off us.you will lose.

If you have the courage, put the ballot box in Istanbul. Bring it and put the ballot box. We are this confident in ourselves. You didn't understand from 13 thousand,806 thousand. You didn't understand from 806 thousand, 1 million 150 thousand. I am giving you a 1.5 million vote lead. Bring it on! Bring it on!"

"THE JUDICIARY IS TIED TO YOUR APRON STRINGS"

"There is no giving in to such trickery, to such indecency, or to the politics of lies through billboards seized by trustees. We do not engage in politics with billboards or money, but with heart and courage."on. Come on, I challenge you, come face us, I challenge you!

I have only one condition, only one condition: Istanbul will make its decision, it will say "Ekrem İmamoğlu"; after that, you will get off ourbacks and all our friends, aAll ourfriends will be tried without arrest. If the decision is not made by one person, not by you, but by three judges;let 16 million Istanbulites decide. When Mayor Ekrem was re-elected,if you say yes to a trial without arrest,then I will renew the Istanbulelections tomorrow. Now don't tell me: "The judiciary is independent." What judiciary is independent? Wgroupbound to you from itsgroupfrom!"

İMAMOĞLU: THE WINNER WILL BE 86 MILLION

Sending a message to therally area, İmamoğlu said, "No matter how long our path is and no matter how complicated it may be, we will be the ones who win.The winner will be 86 million. Injustice, lack of merit, and ruthlessness will come to an end, and everything will be very beautiful," he said.

CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik, conveyed İmamoğlu's letter to the citizens:

"Beautiful People of Istanbul, beautiful people of Beşiktaş… Distinguished ladies, esteemed gentlemen, people with smiling eyes, brave youth… I embrace each and every one of you,I hug you with longing. I have missed you so much. Welcome to the square of the indomitablesoldiers of the struggle for justice, of those who do not bow down. I am glad you are here, in this beautiful squareYou are. Thank you for raising the voice of solidarity, hope, and courage.You are standing tall against the blow dealt to the national will and the oppressioninflicted upon us.Thank you,may you always exist.”

“THEY ARE NOTIN FRONT OF THE NATION, WEARE”

“Those who imprison my brother Rıza Akpolat, the guardian of Beşiktaş and the will of the people of Beşiktaş, and all our other friends, have fallen captive to a great fear. This fear that consumes them is the fear of being held accountable to the nation. While we are counting the days to take office and serve the citizens, they are afraid of the nation's decisionto face them, they arerunning awayfrom theballot box. Because they are not in the hearts of the nation, we are.We have won the hearts of the citizens with our actions and services.We gave the nation's moneydirectly back to the nation. We rescued everything that belonged to the public from occupation and opened itforpublic use. You know very well what we have achieved thanks to this. Just look at the greatchange we have createdin this square.even change is an actofthe people,ofourgovernanceapproach is enough to show its essence.”

“WE ACTED WITH THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF BEING THE GUARDIANS OF ISTANBUL”

“Barbaros Square was one of those squares in Istanbul that ‘existed in name only.’ Public spaces had been occupied, and the citizens' connection to the sea had been severed. We have now removed the steel bridgethat posed a security risk,and we have redesigned this area.The citizenscan nowWe brought our head together with the square and the sea. We provided opportunities for walking, resting, and meeting. We added new trees to the area,new greenareaswe gained.Without ever thinking of creatingrentforanyone, only and solely for the citizensby observing the benefit of thework, we acted with the consciousness of being the guardian of Istanbul.”

“WE DID THESE NOT FOR ONE PERSON, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE AT THE SERVICE OF OUR NOBLE NATIONFORTHE SAKE OF IT”

“To facilitate transportation in Beşiktaşfor YYıldız-Mecidiyeköy-Mahmutbey metro line and the Boğaziçi University Hisarüstü Aşiyan Funicular Line, and openedIn Karanfilköy, wesolved a 60-yearproperty issue,and took steps to ensurethe rightful owners could move into their earthquake-resistanthomes.We opened the Kabataş Transfer Center.WeWe renovated and strengthened the coastlines ofBebek and Kuruçeşme, and renovated ourparks. We solvedthe infrastructure problems of Beşiktaş. We provided significant social support to our children,our youth,and our mothers. All of thesenot for the sake of one person, but because we are at the service of our beloved nationwe didit.”

“THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STOP US”

“To stop our struggle forservice and action, they are trampling on the lawand targeting me, our mayor Rıza Akpolat, and allour mayorsLet those who subject mycolleague mayors to allkinds of tyranny know that they will not be able to stop us. We will come to power and we will domuch more. We will establish justice in the economy, education, judiciary, healthcare, and in allthe services provided by the state.We will prevail.This government's greatest vicWe will take steps to make life easier and more beautiful for those who have been victimized, the low-income earners, retirees, the youth, and women.”“WE WILL BE THE WINNERS, THE WINNER WILL BE 86 MILLION”“We will build a very strong, innovative, and efficient production economy where everyone receives the full reward for their labor, initiatives, and investments,where no one is left behind, and where the wealth of this country is shared fairly.We will establish a system where justice prevails and the rule of law is absolute.

We are not just talking about a change in government; we are talking about a change in mentality.

We will bring peace, prosperity, and democracy back to these lands. We will walk together toward a bright future, hand in hand, with all 86 million of our citizens.”we will build. We will establish a state structure that acts only within the boundaries of law and democracy, is subject to the national will, and isrespectful to the citizens until the end. We will succeed together. We will growin waves.We will grow.We will get stronger by uniting.We will get stronger.Even under the most difficult conditions and the heaviest pressures, we will show how law and democracy are defended, and how an election ishow it is won, we willshow the world.No matter how long and thorny our path may be, we will be the ones who win.The winner will be 86 million. Injustice, lack of merit, and ruthlessness will come to an end, and everything will be very beautiful. Everything will be very beautiful, because we are mawe will win. There is no salvation alone, come on everyone todutypost. Stay well.”