Striking claim from CHP Chairman Özgür Özel: Trump's son and Erdoğan negotiated at Dolmabahçe

The CHP is holding a new 'Defending the National Will' rally in Bahçelievler. Tens of thousands of citizens gathered at the rally held in the district where the CHP İstanbul Provincial Presidency has relocated.

The CHP is holding a 'Defending the National Will' rally in Istanbul's Bahçelievler district on the 180th day of the detention of Presidential Candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

It was observed that citizens participated in large numbers in the rally held in Bahçelievler, the new address of the CHP İstanbul Provincial Presidency.

The highlights from CHP Chairman Özgür Özel's speech are as follows: 

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel began his speech at the rally by drawing attention to the AKP's 'rent-seeking municipalism.' Mentioning the lack of green spaces in Bahçelievler under AKP administration, Özel stated that they would win Bahçelievler in the next election.

Özel spoke as follows:

"Today, those who thwarted the ambitions of the coup plotters after the March 19 coup, those who filled Saraçhane, have come to protest for the 55th time; welcome. On one side is the rent-seeking AKP municipalism, and on the other is the populist Republican People's Party municipalism!"

"Yes, we haven't won for six terms, but we never blamed Bahçelievler. We looked for the fault in ourselves. We worked hard, we came very close, but this time there is a difference. We didn't win the district municipality, but we made Ekrem İmamoğlu the winner in Bahçelievler. First place. Of course, when looking at the results, at the votes Mayor Ekrem received, at our upward trend, and at this Haznedar Square, it is clear that we will not lose Bahçelievler again. We will take Bahçelievler, too. We will take Istanbul, too. We will take Turkey, too."

Reacting to the decision regarding CHP İstanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik, Özgür Özel stated, "We will neither hand over Istanbul's elected provincial chairman to a trustee nor to the palace's judiciary. We stand behind him all the way."

"BAHÇELİEVLER MUNICIPALITY AWARDED AN 843 MILLION LIRA TENDER TO AKTAŞ"

Stating that the key figure in the operations launched against CHP-run municipalities, 'confessor' Aziz İhsan Aktaş, received a total of 843 million liras in tenders from the AKP-run Bahçelievler Municipality, Özel spoke as follows:

"Mayor Zeydan took over the district municipality of Seyhan from the AKP 12 years ago. There was a tender in place at the time he took office. Normal payments were made. When the time came, it was completed and no further work was given. If you ask him, he says we are not partners. The prosecutor says they are partners, I know it."

Supposedly, Aziz İhsan Aktaş's partner received payment from Zeydan Karalar 12 years ago. That is why Zeydan Karalar is in prison. But the mayor of Bahçelievler held a tender just last year, in two parts, first for the trucks and then for the drivers.

He awarded a total of 843 million in tenders. No one turns to ask Mr. Hakan. Shame on such hypocrisy. I am saying it clearly here. If Zeydan Karalar, or my Avcılar Mayor, my young brother Utku Caner Çaykara, or my dear young brother Hakan Bahçetepe in Gaziosmanpaşa are in prison based on their statements, the Mayor of Bahçelievler should receive 50 life sentences. He should receive 50 life sentences."

"ERDOĞAN DOES NOT LIKE THE POOR, HE LIKES THE RICH"

Mentioning that the stock market fell following the operations against the CHP, Özel drew attention to the fact that the stock market rose after the hearing for the party congress lawsuit was postponed.

Stating that the economy deteriorates as the country becomes more authoritarian, Özel continued his speech as follows:

"The AK Party has introduced such a system that we no longer have the strength to endure. Erdoğan does not love the poor; he loves the rich. But let's look at Erdoğan's situation; the official poverty line in Turkey is 88,000 liras. The situation is more or less the same throughout Turkey; I said 95 percent earn below 88,000 liras, and the official figure is 88 percent. Look, Erdoğan does not like those who earn less than 88,000 liras or those who earn the 22,000 lira minimum wage, but he wiped out 700 billion liras in taxes for the rich. He says, 'Let it stay in your pocket,' it doesn't enter the treasury. He took it from all of our pockets and put it into the pockets of the rich."

On one side are those who ask, 'Did you zero out the money, son?', and on the other are those who send their children to school with zero pocket money. School cafeterias are prohibitively expensive. That is why we promise: no child in this country will inherit poverty from their father. No child will go to school with an empty lunchbox. This has no right or left. The children of Kurds and Turks are hungry, their fathers are hungry. One way or another, we will bring justice to this country.

Our Beyoğlu Mayor said, 'Chairman, Beyoğlu has more poor people than rich people.' Children are at recess; those who have money drink from the fountain, some buy bottles. He said, 'Mr. Chairman, I installed a water purification system, and now both the rich child and the other drink from there.' We turned this into a model project and distributed it across all of Turkey. But some school principals are afraid, some district directors of national education are afraid. I am saying it once again: despite all their intimidation, they are making us pay the debts of the AKP and MHP. I am calling out to all school principals in Turkey: the free water dispensers are on us. Hot lunches or free lunchboxes for the children are on us, as long as you do not fear that 'Reis' (the President)."

A HIGHLY DISCUSSED NEGOTIATION CLAIM FROM ÖZEL

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel reacted to the AKP's silence regarding US President Donald Trump's plan to turn Gaza into a holiday resort. Launching harsh criticisms against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Özel made a claim that is set to be widely discussed.

Saying, "I am announcing it here," Özel spoke as follows:

"Not only did he not say a word to Trump, but just last Saturday, he hosted Trump's son, Jr. Trump, at his working office in Dolmabahçe, Istanbul, hiding his name, and entered into negotiations with him. They didn't write his name and listed him as a businessman for the visit."

"HASAN MUTLU WAS THREATENED"

Claiming that Bayrampaşa Mayor Hasan Mutlu had been contacted by MHP and AKP members and threatened with the words, 'If you don't switch to the AKP, you will be imprisoned,' Özel stated that Mutlu recounted the incident as follows:

"My Chairman, four times in total: once three weeks ago, once two weeks ago, once this Thursday evening—meaning the Thursday night before he was detained on Saturday—and once on Saturday morning, they said, 'If you switch to the People's Alliance, we will stop the operation. Otherwise, we will put you inside.'"

AKP İstanbul Provincial Chairman Abdullah Özdemir, in a post on his social media account, stated that he 'vehemently rejected' Özgür Özel's claim, saying, "I invite Mr. Özgür Özel to file a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office without delay. Just as he failed to present any evidence for two months despite lying to the nation's face by claiming there was a '32-hour video recording' regarding Manavgat, he will be known as a slanderer on this matter as well."

ÖZEL REVEALED THAT NAME IN FRONT OF TENS OF THOUSANDS

Özel responded to the AKP's Özdemir in Bahçelievler. Stating that Hasan Mutlu had reported the threats to the prosecutor's office, Özel named AKP member Kaan Yürür and said the following:

"These phone calls, which his wife also witnessed, were timed by Mr. Hasan Mutlu. Abdullah Özdemir says he should file a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office. Mr. Hasan has already filed a criminal complaint and has already spoken to the prosecutor.

An AK Party official said, 'Mayor Hasan Mutlu, may God be pleased with you; the municipality was in the hands of the AK Party. They used to collect parking fees in cash, and they had ripped me off too. If the prosecutor calls, I will go and explain.' Abdullah Özdemir, this person is your official in Bayrampaşa, Kaan Yürür. The accused is İsmail Gemici."

ALLEGATION THAT MHP MEMBERS WERE OFFERED 'TESTIFY AGAINST HASAN MUTLU AND GO FREE'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel drew attention to MHP members Emin Sönmez and Yasin Sönmez, who were among those arrested in the operation targeting the Bayrampaşa Municipality.

MHP İstanbul Provincial Board member Yasin Sönmez and Bayrampaşa district member Emin Sönmez were also involved. Once it was revealed that the two MHP members had been detained, a disciplinary process was initiated with a request for their permanent expulsion.

CHP leader Özel stated that Emin Sönmez was offered release in exchange for testifying that he had bribed Hasan Mutlu.

Addressing MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, Özel said the following:

"In recent days, a father and son named Emin Sönmez and Yasin Sönmez were expelled from the MHP. Yasin Sönmez was an MHP district executive in Bayrampaşa. They threw both of them inside. When the MHP saw they were arrested, when they saw the detention, they referred them to discipline and expelled them yesterday. The person, Mr. Emin Sönmez, is saying—I am addressing Mr. Devlet Bahçeli from here. I am addressing our Deputy Chairman responsible for legal and election affairs in the MHP."

Emin Sönmez is someone Mr. Bahçeli knows well. He has met with Mr. Bahçeli from time to time. They were suddenly thrown inside here, but Emin Sönmez's statement is this: 'They told me to sign this paper saying I gave 1 million TL to Bayrampaşa Mayor Hasan Mutlu, and to go back to my business. I said I fear God. I will not slander, I fear God. They dragged both my son and me inside,' he says. I request this of Mr. Bahçeli."

ÖZGÜR ÇELİK READ IMAMOĞLU'S MESSAGE

Citizens gathered in the area for the rally. CHP İstanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik read the message from imprisoned presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu at the rally:

İmamoğlu's message is as follows:

“Since 2019, we have served all districts of Istanbul equally, regardless of political party. One of the best examples of this is Bahçelievler. We have given Bahçelievler the value it deserves with the metro line we opened, our nurseries, our regional employment office, our major infrastructure investments, and our new metro stations that will open very soon. We have stood by our low-income fellow citizens with unprecedented support. We spent your money to make your lives easier and more beautiful. While we strive to provide the best service to citizens without any discrimination, those in power have pushed our country to the brink of a precipice with their discriminatory and nepotistic policies. We are on the brink of a precipice in the economy. We are on the brink of a precipice in democracy, justice, education, health, and foreign policy.”

“IF THE NATION DOES NOT BRING A GOVERNMENT THAT HAS LOST ITS SENSE OF JUSTICE TO ITS SENSES IN TIME…”

“Either we will reach salvation, peace, and prosperity together by trusting and holding onto each other as a nation, or we will become victims of the personal ambitions of a handful of people. There is no middle ground. None. Either we will force this government to act within the bounds of law and democracy, or the lives of our youth and children will darken and their hopes will be exhausted under a regime of oppression and tyranny. Governments that do not receive the most serious warnings from the nation while stepping outside the law and democracy always become more tyrannical. They become more tyrannical not only against their political rivals but against all citizens who expect prosperity, justice, and security from the government. This is what is happening in our country today. There are many examples in history and today. If the nation does not bring a government that has lost its sense of justice to its senses in time, the evils and damages that those in power will inflict on the country will multiply exponentially. That is why I always say: Either justice or misery. Either justice or captivity.”

“OUR MAYOR HASAN HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO THIS UNLAWFUL OPERATION BECAUSE HE DID NOT BOW TO PRESSURE, BLACKMAIL, AND THREATS”

“This government has no sense of justice or desire for justice left. This government has no tolerance left for the nation to have the final say. This government has no intention of competing fairly with its rivals at the ballot box. They are usurping the authority that the nation did not give them through the judiciary under their control. They are forcing mayors and council members to switch to their own party by threatening and blackmailing them, and they are trying to obtain municipalities they could not win through elections by this dirty method. This is what they are trying to do to our Bayrampaşa pride, Mayor Hasan Mutlu, and his colleagues. Our Mayor Hasan, who has won the hearts of the people of Bayrampaşa, whom we introduced to populist and service-oriented municipalism 30 years later, has been subjected to this unlawful operation because he did not bow to pressure, blackmail, and threats. No matter how hard they try, we will not bow before those who see themselves above the national will and those who try to bring the representatives of the national will to their knees with their dirty minds. Neither the representatives of this nation nor our noble nation will take a step back.”

“THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY WILL BE ILLUMINATED WITH YOU”

“Our struggle is the struggle of 86 million people for democracy, justice, and freedom against a handful of people who have clearly revealed their intention to end the multi-party democratic regime. Our struggle is the struggle to build a Turkey where everyone attains the income and living standards they deserve, receives the reward for their labor and investment, and feels safe and secure. There is no room for pausing or division in this struggle. If we stop, if we falter, if we divide and drift apart, we will lose all our historical gains as a nation and be left facing a great catastrophe. Therefore, we will continue to grow our determination and resolve in today's struggle, wave by wave. We will never stop until we bring justice, freedom, and prosperity to our country. My faith and trust in my nation are infinite. I love you all very much. Know your worth, trust yourselves. No matter what plans or conspiracies anyone plots, you will have the final say. The future of this country will be illuminated by you. Hope is in you. Hope is in the nation! Everything will be very beautiful. Ekrem İmamoğlu. Silivri Prison.”