Visit to Ekrem İmamoğlu from Özel! 'It is important not to be null and void'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel visited the imprisoned Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu at the Marmara Closed Prison in Silivri.

Özel is making statements to members of the press following the meeting.

CONGRESS STATEMENT: WHAT MATTERS IS NOT BEING NULL AND VOID IN THE EYES OF THE NATION

Regarding the lawsuit concerning the 38th Ordinary Congress of the CHP, Özel stated: "The date of June 30th has no credibility for me. They are trying to create controversy around the CHP. We will respond to this all together. 'Butlan' (nullity) means something ceasing to exist entirely. What matters is not being null and void in the eyes of the nation. May God never let anyone fall into a position of nullity in the eyes of our party and our nation."

Some excerpts from CHP leader Özel's speech are as follows:

"Friends, before our trip to Brussels and then Germany starting tomorrow, and before our Büyükçekmece rally this evening, we visited our Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, our esteemed presidential candidate, our Büyükçekmece Mayor Mr. Hasan Akgün, former CHP Deputy Chairman Mr. Aykut Erdoğdu, our Beşiktaş Mayor Mr. Rıza Akpolat, our Şişli Mayor Mr. Emrah Şahan, and journalist Fatih Altaylı at Silivri Prison today.

This is unacceptable. We are all feeling the emotional weight of this today, and we will hold this rally this evening. Ekrem, our mayor, has serious concerns not necessarily about himself, but about mothers separated from their children, about children being held hostage, or children who have been left alone and turned into elements of threat and blackmail.

He says: 'I am willing to shoulder the entire burden myself. Let them release the mothers and children immediately, even if they keep me for a few more months. We will stay. We will be released once our innocence is proven anyway. But he has serious objections to such injustice and lawlessness being committed.' Recalling the reaction I showed to what was done to Mayor Ekrem's father, we reached a consensus on how desperate those who target fathers, children, and spouses actually are.

As of today, the first poll for June, returning from the field as of June 12, has arrived. Before the undecided voters are distributed, the Republican People's Party is 5.5 points ahead of the AK Party. For the first time, after the undecided voters are distributed, with a rate of over 40 percent, I will say in the history of the Republican People's Party—there is 41.4 in 1977, but there were no polls then—we are seeing 40 percent in a poll for the first time in history. We see a 6 to 6.5 point gap with the AK Party after the undecided voters are distributed. I mentioned the figures before distribution. And our nation has distinguished between the right and the wrong. This must be seen. Well, they get angry when I explain these things as I do here. But let me say it from here."

"JUNE 30" ACTIVITY IN THE CHP

The Republican People's Party (CHP), where many mayors and executives, including Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, are imprisoned, is also preparing for the congress lawsuit on June 30.

In the congress held in November 2023, Özgür Özel was elected chairman with 812 votes against Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who received 536 votes.

Claims that the lawsuit filed for the cancellation of this congress could result in a decision of "absolute nullity" (being considered non-existent) and that in such a case, former chairman Kılıçdaroğlu could return to lead the party, have become a topic of public debate.