CHP Chair Özgür Özel's 'Rümeysa' reaction to Erdoğan: This silence is surrender

Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was detained in the US on the grounds of supporting Palestine, appeared before an immigration court in Louisiana, where she has been held for more than 2 weeks. 

In the closed-door hearing, Öztürk's lawyers stated that the Trump administration was attempting to detain and deport their client due to an op-ed she wrote for the student newspaper regarding the attacks in Gaza, and requested that Öztürk be released on bail.

Attorneys for the Department of Homeland Security, however, argued that there was a risk of 'flight' and 'danger to the community' if Rümeysa Öztürk were released, and opposed her release on bail.

The immigration judge denied the request for Öztürk's release on bail and ordered that her detention continue.

ÖZGÜR ÖZEL REACTED

CHP Chair Özgür Özel made a post on his social media account regarding the decision to continue Rümeysa's detention and reacted to the situation as follows:

"The request for the release on bail of Turkish citizen and doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was detained on March 25 for writing an article supporting the Palestinian cause in the US, has also been denied.

Tayyip Erdoğan does not, and cannot, raise his voice when it comes to his 'partner' Trump, from whom he received approval for the aforementioned March 19 coup.

Those who released Pastor Brunson with a single phone call from Trump yesterday cannot demand freedom for Rümeysa today.

This silence is surrender.

By now, the hypocrisy of those who remain silent on Trump's displacement plan in Gaza, engage in performative squabbles with Netanyahu, and peddle populism is plain for all to see.

The insincerity of those who closed the subways to prevent our Istanbul Provincial Organization's march in support of Palestine today, and who blocked the march with hundreds of police officers, is evident.

The Palestinian cause is not defended by engaging in demagoguery in warm halls; it is defended through action.

Rümeysa resisted oppression with the power of her pen. Our Istanbul organization raised its voice by marching.

We will defend our daughter Rümeysa, and we will stand against the plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza until the end.

We will also continue to explain the government's hypocrisy to the nation."

ABD'de Filistin davasına destek veren bir yazı yazdığı için 25 Mart’ta gözaltına alınan Türk vatandaşı, doktora öğrencisi Rümeysa Öztürk’ün kefaletle serbest bırakılma talebi de reddedildi.

Tayyip Erdoğan, söz konusu 19 Mart darbesi için icazet aldığı “ortağı” Trump olunca…

— Özgür Özel (@eczozgurozel) April 19, 2025

News Source: 12punto