Özgür Özel reacts to the General Directorate of Security cropping Atatürk out of a photo: 'The nation has erased them from its heart'

On the anniversary of the Great Offensive Victory, which was the turning point of the Turkish War of Independence, a post that drew backlash was shared by the General Directorate of Security.

The famous photo of the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Great Leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, at Afyon Kocatepe was cropped.

The moments where Atatürk was directing the army on the rocky summit were deleted. The General Directorate of Security did not explain why it changed this image.

Following the backlash, the General Directorate of Security deleted the post and made a new one that included Atatürk.

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel spoke to members of the press on the occasion of the arrival in Ankara of young CHP members who marched from Adana to Silivri for the release of those detained in the controversial Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) investigation.

Upon being reminded that the Ministry of Interior had not made a single statement regarding why Atatürk was erased from the historic moment via Photoshop, Özel stated the following:

"Gentlemen, those gentlemen who shared that photo that way, if that photo did not exist, they would not even realize that the flag we hoist today would not be waving, that the uniform they are wearing would not exist, or that the ministerial office they occupy would not exist.

Over 95 or 96 percent of the people in this country feel respect, reverence, and deep love for Atatürk. Look, photoshopping Atatürk's photo in a post by someone elected with the votes of this nation is something that cannot be done without effort and labor.

The nation has erased those who erased Atatürk from that photo from its heart. In the process ahead, in the upcoming election, no matter which party they are from, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is the one who saved this country from enemy occupation, hoisted our glorious flag, had the calls to prayer that had ceased read again, and ensured that instead of remaining as slaves in this country where seven different armies partitioned us, we became sovereign, free citizens of a sovereign Republic of Turkey.

The nation will choose between those who respect him and those who erase him. This nation, this noble nation, will turn and say:

Should the AK Party remain, where Ali Yerlikaya, who meticulously erased Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's picture by photoshopping it, is the Minister of Interior, where Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who appointed him, is the President, and where the General Directorate of Security he appointed exists, or should the party founded by the veteran, which walks in his path, which has not erased him from its heart for a single minute, and which has not taken him out of its mind for a single minute, come to power?

The upcoming election is between those who erase Atatürk with Photoshop and those who feel Atatürk in their hearts every second. Let Ali Yerlikaya know this."

Özel also reacted to the blacking out of Tele1's screens as follows:

"On the night connecting August 1 to September 1, Tele1 screens will go dark for 5 days. What would you like to say? As I have always said when it was done to Sözcü TV or when it was about to be done to Halk TV, there are only a few channels in this country to get truly accurate, objective news in the face of news produced from one place that tries to create a perception and gets ahead of the facts.

One of them is Tele1. Despite all the impossibilities, Tele1 is trying to do journalism with a great struggle, and those who silence Tele1 are not actually silencing a television channel. They are telling the citizen who makes their choice in favor of Tele1 with the television remote in their hand, 'I am blocking your right to receive news.'

Let everyone know that it is not these silenced televisions that are silenced. They are silent today, they will speak tomorrow. They will struggle. At their head are people who have paid the greatest prices but have not surrendered, people who are in prison for telling the truth, people who have risked everything. But today's government sees those who watch Tele1, those who watch Sözcü and Halk TV, as second-class citizens, as citizens who cannot decide which channel they want, as citizens who will watch what I say. Our nation sees this contempt as well. Sooner or later, this will be accounted for. I convey my most sincere and heartfelt feelings of solidarity to Tele1."