Presidential advisor Saral to Özgür Özel: 'Control your hands and tongue, or the boogeymen will eat you'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel directed criticisms at Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin during his parliamentary group meeting.

In his speech, Özel stated the following:

"The minister responsible for the AK Party's polarization and pitting citizens against one another, the Minister of National Education. It is the holy month of Ramadan. Everyone has children. Families are responsible for their child's religious education until the children reach a certain age. A child's worship and fasting are matters for their parents. A tiny child. He will make these children keep tallies and create discrimination in the classroom based on this. His main goal is to get on the news and television. A tension will arise. Then they will cling to the same lie. What is this same lie? Sirs, they say this to the subconscious of the voter; 'Yes, you are hungry, poor, unemployed, and insecure, but the danger is great. You must vote for us. If you vote for them, they will lower the flag, if you vote for them, they will silence the call to prayer. If you vote for them, they will do this...' With this game, he exploits not only the labor and sweat of the man he exploits but also his vote. He doesn't let him change, he condemns him to hunger, he condemns him to misery. He builds politics on this."

Sharing the relevant section of the speech in question, AKP member and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's chief advisor Oktay Saral addressed the following remarks to CHP leader Özgür Özel:

"Know yourself, know yourself

Keep your jaw tight

Control your hands and tongue

Or the boogeymen will eat you

Dear Özgür"

Sen seni bil,sen seni
Sen sıkı tut çeneni
Eline diline hakim ol
Sonra öcüler yer seni
Sevgili Özgür pic.twitter.com/l1yuzO8d53

— Oktay SARAL (@oktay_saral) February 24, 2026