Özel on the Kobani Case: 'There is no law in this case, the trial process is not legal'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, during a program he attended on Sözcü TV, made statements regarding the Kobani Case, for which the verdicts were announced today.

Özel said the following about the case:

"I am not going to change the stance I have taken since the first day. The case is a political case. If a case is opened 5 years after the incident occurred, and if its indictment was written for years directly by the chairman of a political party, and then the case was filed, this is a political case. With its duration, its timing, and the fact that the final hearing was left until after the election, it is a case that is suitable for being used for political purposes in every aspect.

The sentences given here to Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, the things they are accused of while they were serving as co-chairs of a party, and when you look at these sentences, there is no acceptable side to them.

Instead of evaluating the case as a legal case, of course, if I were not the chairman of a political party, I could engage in different brainstorming on which categories those who were acquitted, those who were released because their actions were deemed sufficient, and those who received heavy sentences should be evaluated, but no matter what anyone says, there is no law in this case. The trial process is not legal."

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel is answering questions from journalists Uğur Dündar and Deniz Zeyrek, moderated by İpek Özbey on SÖZCÜ TV. The headlines of the statements made by Özel are as follows:

If we are going to talk about the Ayhan Bora Kaplan issue, we need to briefly recall this side of the story. Ayhan Bora Kaplan is someone who used to sell pirated CDs in the middle of Kızılay with a family member. People come and demand protection money from him. He refuses to pay this protection money. They rough up his older brother. He then shoots the person who roughed him up in the leg and ends up in prison for a certain period. Inside, he meets the drug mafia. He gets out and starts with street-level drug dealing in Ankara, then moves on to supervising certain dealers... He is someone who directs drug trafficking.

"DRAGGED INTO A DISASTROUS SITUATION"

Perhaps some crimes are not dwelled upon much because they touch other places. When the Ayhan Bora Kaplan file is discussed in detail, there is, of course, threats, kidnapping, blackmail, and a lot of things here... Furthermore, young girls under state protection in state-entrusted dormitories approaching the age of 18 were first promised jobs as waitresses, then told 'there is better money in restaurants,' and while being steered toward bars, they were dragged into a disastrous situation. All of these disgraces are present in this. Someone who left my side met with him. 

"THAT HE DISTRIBUTED WEAPONS TO CIVILIANS..."

On the night of July 15, Bekir Bozdağ was speaking at the podium in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). At that time, if I am not mistaken, Levent Gök was speaking. Süleyman Soylu was also sitting there. I said, 'Let Mr. Süleyman speak.' At that time, he was the Minister of Labor and Social Security. He was not the Minister of Interior.

He got up, came to the podium, and said to the Speaker of the Parliament, 'My time has come. I will meet with the youth in front of the TRT building with my friends.' I remember this remark as if it were yesterday, and everyone there must remember it too. 

It was not important at that moment. Later, it emerged that Soylu went to the front of the TRT building... And later, regarding the missing weapons, it was discussed that he distributed weapons to certain civilians he met in front of the TRT building. These debates took place. It turned out that those individuals were Ayhan Bora Kaplan's team.

"THE ALLEGATIONS ARE VERY SERIOUS"

Ayhan Bora Kaplan, pirated CDs, street dealers, drugs, extortion, and so on... Arranging a meeting with Süleyman Soylu in front of the TRT building. Later, Süleyman Soylu becomes the Minister of Interior after a certain period. Then, that highly controversial process involving Süleyman Soylu... The allegations regarding Ayhan Bora Kaplan being under protection are very serious. While everyone is blaming each other in this process, one of the people who could be called the hidden subject is actually Süleyman Soylu. Therefore, if this investigation is to be conducted thoroughly, a summary of proceedings must be prepared against Süleyman Soylu, it must come to the joint committee, pass by unanimous vote, his immunity must be lifted, and he must answer the questions asked before the judiciary so that this incident can truly be resolved.

If you do not propose the establishment of an investigation committee regarding Süleyman Soylu, if the committee to be formed in Parliament does not do what is necessary in the capacity of a prosecutor and does not bring Süleyman Soylu before the Supreme Council, one of the most important parts of this incident will remain covered up.

The debate today is this: A party chairman, Mr. Bahçeli, and the country's Minister of Interior are each tweeting. One tweets, the other responds. Vague tweets. A lot is said in the tweets, and yet nothing is said at all. In the continuation, it ends with phrases like 'FETÖ-style methods'. In the past, the person with whom Süleyman Soylu had the best relationship—it was even said in Ankara at one point that 'Soylu is not the minister of the AK Party, but of the MHP'. 

"EXPECTING THE PHOTO TO REMAIN SECRET IS A CRIME"

Something that has emerged in recent days. What is it? An indictment has been written, the Sinan Ateş indictment. The indictment contains the license plates of every vehicle involved in the incident, but they mention a black Audi. Only its license plate is missing. Then, a photo emerged regarding which Audi that black Audi was.

There is no one who sees the emergence of this as a journalistic success. Both sides of the issue are claiming that the other side leaked it to infect the process, thinking that the matter was coming back to them, and are trying to pin it on Ali Yerlikaya.

The other side says, 'Ali Yerlikaya did this to dynamite the MHP-AKP relationship and involve Soylu.' This is a crime. What is the crime? Expecting the photo to remain secret is a crime.

"IT IS NOT A PROCESS THAT WILL BE EASILY DIGESTED"

It is unacceptable that the license plate of that car was not written in the indictment. Who was driving the car? Whoever was driving it, they should have. If it is a vehicle used by the head of the Idealist Hearths (Ülkü Ocakları), it cannot be written in the indictment. This process is not one that can be easily digested. The absence of that vehicle's license plate in the indictment is a subject of trial in itself. For those who prepared the indictment, and for those who gave them these suggestions...

"IF THIS IS NOT A BANANA REPUBLIC"

I say 'normalization', they say 'softening'. Turkey needs normalization. In a place where there is a constitution in 2024, where elections are held, where members of parliament, the president, and ministers take office with an oath... If this is not a banana republic, and in this republic, whose 100th anniversary we celebrated last year, if people are evaluated according to the political affiliation of the perpetrator of the crime and their alliance partners...

"WE ARE IN A GREAT DILEMMA"

A return visit will be made to the CHP Headquarters. I had statements following that. Problem areas... For example, if a raise is to be given to retirees, let's all vote for it together, if not... We are holding a retiree rally. Teacher appointments... 68 thousand teachers were demanding it. I said, 'The staff vacancy is 94 thousand. There are also 20 thousand retirees.

124 thousand. If 120 thousand teachers are appointed, I will support it. If they are not appointed, I will voice my opposition'. Tomorrow, in July, there will be a raise in the minimum wage. It is very low for those receiving the minimum wage, and very high for those paying it. We are in a great dilemma. The state needs to find a solution to this, increase the minimum wage, and stop it from being a burden on tradesmen, SMEs, small producers, and those who are not making money.

Let's work on this together. 'No, we are tightening our belts, we cannot give it'. You will take 11 percent of the tax from those who actually earn, and you will make the minimum wage earner tighten their belt. I will hold a rally, a march, and a protest for this.

"ÖZGÜR ÖZEL DOES NOT HAVE SUCH A LUXURY"

My prerequisite for entering into a constitutional debate is this: Full compliance with the existing constitution. And I say that if a new suit is desired, they look at what you did with the previous one. They look at why the previous one didn't work. They look at whether you will wear the new one. Why should we make a constitution that will not be followed? Let us discuss the issue of a guarantee regarding compliance with the constitution separately.

That is a technical issue. In the meetings I held with neither Mr. Erdoğan nor Mr. Bahçeli, let alone the procedure regarding the constitution, even 'it could be like this, it could be like that'... Only compliance with the constitution. When you say compliance with the constitution, there are ECHR rulings, Constitutional Court rulings, and there are calls not to accept the binding nature of the Constitutional Court, and even for the closure of the court. 

How can it be possible to sit at a constitutional table under these conditions? I am stating this side of the matter. I also said this. I told Mr. Kurtulmuş as well. A table was set. And I, as Özgür Özel, got up and came and sat down. We are 17 million 500 thousand people just in terms of those we met at the ballot box in the last election. 17 million 499 thousand of them remain standing. Özgür Özel cannot sit at that table without convincing 17.5 million people. Özgür Özel does not have such a luxury.

"IT MUST BE DONE BY THE PARLIAMENT"

If Mr. Erdoğan comes and says, 'We have entered into such a business, let whoever is responsible come forward, give political support,' I am ready to provide support. If Mr. Bahçeli says, 'We are in such a business. We must all get out of this together,' I am ready to give him the clearest support. If Mr. Ali Yerlikaya also comes and makes a presentation and asks for public support that will contribute to distinguishing the right from the wrong, I will provide support there as well. We, as the opposition, will provide all kinds of support for every step taken towards what is right and good. We have always done this in the past as well. Let them come, let us establish a commission in the Parliament. Let us do together what they cannot do due to their own positions. Everyone is conducting operations against each other. An operation to return to the rule of law must be carried out by the Parliament. This business will not happen any other way."

ÖZGÜR ÖZEL'S ASSESSMENT ON ARABIC SIGNAGE

A few news sites, sites sympathetic to a certain party, reported from the entire statement that 'Özgür Özel said do not remove the Arabic signs.' The Twitter world is a world like this: One accepts it as true and another writes something. The other reads it, writes, and so on... After a while, perception replaces fact.

Let me make a mathematical contribution like this. The birth rate of Turks living in Turkey has fallen to 1.45. This is 5.65 for Syrians. This means 25 million Syrians in 20 years. This is truly a very big risk in terms of a country's urban demographics. Precautions must be taken.

Let's come to what I said regarding the essence of the matter. I have no changed views. We advocate for dialogue with Syria. Assad must meet with his true legitimate counterparts. What does it matter if I am against Syrian refugees or not? I am against the policies and politicians that create refugees.

I repeat all my statements for or against this issue with great self-confidence. What I said is this: 'Friends, the image of a mayor tearing down Arabic signs on television is not a correct image from our perspective. I am not defending Arabic signs. I don't like those Arabic signs on Istiklal Street, nor do I like them anywhere else. But I don't like English or French signs either. There is a legal regulation regarding this. 'Signs will be in Turkish; if there is a sign in a foreign language, it cannot exceed 25 percent of the main sign.' If this were implemented, a regulation would largely be achieved. 

Furthermore, they cannot randomly hang signs that are contrary to the Signage Law. But according to the law, you must issue a warning for this method; the owner should remove it themselves. If they don't remove it, send the municipal police, warn them. Finally, have it removed in accordance with the procedure, but remove the English ones as well as the Arabic ones. I said this. I said, 'Just as a mayor doesn't drive a fire truck when a fire breaks out, and just as a mayor doesn't go and turn off the valve when a water pipe bursts, it is not your job to tear them down. Your job is to give instructions in accordance with the regulation.'

"HE USES THE WORD ARAB LIKE A SWEAR WORD"

I asked what happens if you tear it down. For example, if someone in my own village of Hacerler finds a piece of paper with Arabic on it on the ground, they pick it up and put it on a windowsill where it won't be stepped on. They don't know Arabic, maybe it's just a joke written on it, but they have associated Arabic with the Quran. I am not saying that Arabic is a sacred language.

Arabic is the language in which the Holy Quran was written. People consider Arabic sacred because it is the language of the Quran. I said that you going and tearing it down in a harsh manner would open irreparable wounds in people on behalf of our party. I said, just as you don't drive the city bus, you shouldn't be the one removing that sign, and I continued. 

Furthermore, Arabic is the mother tongue of 6 million citizens of the Republic of Turkey. In Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Hatay, and to some extent in Batman... The disrespect shown to Arabic also hurts the citizens of the Republic of Turkey.

There is a politician, a chairman. He uses the word 'Arab' like a swear word. It is not right. If you use the word 'Arab' like a swear word, tomorrow you cannot oppose someone when they use the word 'Turk' like a swear word."