12punto in Esenyurt: What is the CHP's Ahmet Özer strategy?

The main agenda item in politics has become the trustee appointed to Esenyurt Municipality. Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer was detained at his home.

It was noted that the detention decision was issued due to various investigations being conducted into the municipality in Esenyurt. Searches were carried out at Özer's home and at the municipality.

It was stated that the investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office was aimed at identifying the members and activities of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization. Özer was taken to the Vatan Police Headquarters as part of the detention. Following the detention at Vatan Police Headquarters, it was announced that Ahmet Özer had been arrested and a trustee had been appointed to Esenyurt Municipality.

Veteran journalist Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu was in Esenyurt to keep a pulse on the agenda. Mollaveisoğlu conducted an interview with CHP Deputy Chairman and Istanbul MP Özgür Karabat regarding the current situation.

The highlights from the '12'den' program with Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu are as follows:

CHP Deputy Chairman and Istanbul MP Özgür Karabat argued that the AKP's political strategies during the Ahmet Özer process have become inconsistent and that a central rationale has been lost in its management style. Pointing out that the AKP's strategies regarding Turkey and the world are no longer what they used to be, Karabat made harsh criticisms, saying, "The AKP is now influenced by different focal points; the party is not managed by AKP members, but by certain bureaucratic circles."

THE RELEVANT ARTICLE WAS ENACTED TO COMBAT FETÖ

Karabat stated that the threats of appointing trustees to Esenyurt Municipality were made with political motives and claimed that the AKP intervenes in municipalities that oppose the government using legal justifications. Emphasizing that a provision enacted after the coup and used temporarily in the fight against terrorism is now being used against political opponents in trustee appointments, Karabat said, "This article was enacted to combat FETÖ; now it is being used to remove mayors from office."

Providing information about the work done in Esenyurt, Karabat stated that during Ahmet Özer's mayoral term, many social facilities were opened in the city and the municipality made great strides in the field of service. Stating that they established soup kitchens, opened nurseries, and started work to create city restaurants in Esenyurt, Karabat said that paving and asphalt work was carried out on approximately 300 streets, and that these services had been very distant from Esenyurt in the past.

Criticizing the irregularities experienced in the construction sector in Esenyurt in the past, Karabat claimed that the AKP wants to turn the district into "Es Angeles" again, saying, "During the AKP's administration of Esenyurt, 30 thousand housing victims were created. 24 floors were added to buildings with 12-floor permits, and apartments were sold to more than one person. An environment was created where the drug mafia roamed the streets freely."

While emphasizing that the CHP municipality's service approach in Esenyurt is appreciated by the public, Karabat said that political pressure began to increase after the municipality's budget was approved.

WHAT IS THE CHP'S GOAL?

Noting that the CHP has two main goals, Karabat continued his words as follows:

"We have two goals: First, of course, is the immediate release of Ahmet Özer. We see that there is an illegality here. Because we see it, there are now reports in the pro-government media saying: 'Everything hasn't come out yet, just wait and see what will come out.' So, did you detain and arrest the man just to say 'wait and see what will come out'? Let it come out, let's see! Moreover, it appears to be a file that has been prepared for quite some time. Doesn't it feel like a FETÖ-style practice in Diyarbakır to you too? It's not 'FETÖ-style'; this is the very practice of FETÖ itself. I do not accept the term 'FETÖ-style'; this is the very practice of FETÖ. It must be said now: Yes, Fethullah Gülen himself has died, he has gone abroad, but Fethullah Gülen's mind and politics have taken the AKP hostage."

ESENYURT HAS BECOME A POLICE CAMP

Stating that Ahmet Özer should be released as soon as possible and that the municipal council and the squares here should be opened to the public, Karabat concluded his words as follows:

"Esenyurt has now become a police camp. Esenyurt today has become a migrant center, a refugee center. If you took all these measures at the border, this Esenyurt would be more prosperous. Of course, our goal is to conduct a long-term political struggle and, in the short term, an early election. We are saying it very clearly; the goal is a change of government. If their intention is: 'We will pressure the CHP, we will muddy the opposition, we will appoint a trustee here, we will appoint a trustee there, we will file a lawsuit against this person, we will file a compensation lawsuit against that person, and we will call them to the table,' I say this strongly from here: There is no table that the Republican People's Party can sit at with you. We are not at the table called the constitutional table either. We do not negotiate a constitution with those who trample on the constitution. What kind of democratic environment is there in this country for us to negotiate a constitution with you? In an environment where civil society does not participate, political parties do not participate, and there is no social consensus, whether in parliament or not, what constitution are we going to negotiate with you? We are going to negotiate a constitution with you to make Tayyip Erdoğan president once again. Their only concern is to get Tayyip Erdoğan elected once again. But we say it once again from here: fear is of no use to the inevitable; you will go."

You can watch the entire '12'den' program with Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu on the 12puntoTV YouTube channel.