CHP Group Deputy Chair Günaydın: He is a Kurdish intellectual you cannot silence, and you cannot tolerate him

Günaydın said, "If those who speak out for Esenyurt remain silent on Mardin, or if those who speak out for Batman remain silent on Esenyurt, we will be defeated. This is a struggle for democracy. We will show solidarity together."

CHP Group Deputy Chair Günaydın continued as follows:

"Let us state it here: we have read the summary of proceedings they prepared, the prosecutor's document, the police statement, and the peace criminal judgeship minutes line by line.

Ahmet Özer has been my personal friend for over 10 years; his thoughts are clear. He has more than 40 books and hundreds of articles. What is it that you cannot tolerate about him?

Let me tell you: he is a Kurdish intellectual you cannot silence, and you cannot tolerate him. You gathered together; just as you lost in 2019, you lost even bigger in 2024. He took the Esenyurt Municipality with the will of the people, and you cannot tolerate that."

Noting that they are obliged to show democratic solidarity here, Günaydın said, "A trustee had been appointed to Esenyurt, and now, what have we heard this morning?

We heard about Mardin, didn't we? We heard about Batman, didn't we? We heard about Halfeti, didn't we? Look, friends, if those who speak out for Esenyurt remain silent on Mardin, or if those who speak out for Batman remain silent on Esenyurt, we will be defeated.

This is a struggle for democracy; we will show solidarity together," he stated.

CHP İstanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik stated that the elected mayor of Esenyurt, Ahmet Özer, was detained in a dawn operation at 6 a.m.

Claiming that Özer was arrested and sent to prison on baseless allegations, Çelik said, "A trustee was appointed in his place; a blow was dealt to the will of the voters, to the will of the people of Esenyurt.

Today, a second blow to the will of the voters took place in Esenyurt. A notification was made to our municipal council members by the appointed trustee, stating: 'The duties and powers of the municipal council, commissions, and the executive committee will be managed by civil servant members until further notice.'

This document, which was served to our municipal council members this evening with the signature of the appointed trustee, is a second blow to the will of the people of Esenyurt," he said.

Çelik stated that they would hold a democracy vigil here again tomorrow at 17:00.