First comment from Özgür Özel on diploma cancellation: Mayor Ekrem is the victim

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel responded to questions from members of the press at the Turkish Grand National Assembly regarding the unlawful cancellation of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu's diploma by Istanbul University.

CHP Leader Özgür Özel stated, "Dear friends, the fact that this decision was taken in this manner is a black mark both for those who made the decision in terms of their own history and, unfortunately, for an institution like Istanbul University, which is 600 years old and one of Turkey's most important higher education institutions. Of course, we are not going to lose heart over this. This will only provide us with motivation, nothing else." Özel continued as follows:

"WE WILL GIVE THE CLEAREST POLITICAL RESPONSE TO A POLITICAL ACT"

"On March 23, we will determine our presidential candidate with our 1 million 750 thousand members. Mayor Ekrem is our candidate. Just because some are afraid of him and are trying to get rid of him by canceling his diploma, we will not lose any of our motivation, our determination, or our belief. I invite our 1 million 750 thousand members to come and support Mayor Ekrem on Sunday with even greater determination, greater enthusiasm, and defiance. There is undoubtedly a legal dimension to the process from here on. This is now an administrative decision, and the path to administrative judiciary is open. I expect and hope that this wrong calculation will be reversed by the administrative judiciary as soon as possible and that the administrative judiciary will make the right decision. Following that, although I do not hope for it at all, if there is a negative decision, there are already consistent rulings made by the Constitutional Court in similar cases. Unless there was fraud on the part of the individual—and he applied at the invitation of the university along with many of his friends during the middle year of the three-year period—Mayor Ekrem is not the perpetrator here, he is the victim. However, the action taken is not legal, it is political. We will give the clearest political response to that political act. We are continuing on our path with determination. We will all be at the ballot box on Sunday, and we stand behind Ekrem İmamoğlu."

"WE WILL HOLD A MEETING AND EVALUATE THE SITUATION"

Upon being asked by reporters, "Will you convene the Central Executive Board (MYK) extraordinarily?" CHP Leader Özel replied, "We have not made such a decision at the moment. If there is a need, our friends are here. We had already evaluated this possibility extensively during the MYK meeting we held yesterday. But if we feel the need, we can always convene." When asked whether he had held a phone conversation with Ekrem İmamoğlu following the decision, Chairman Özel said, "We both have iftar programs. Our private secretaries have planned a meeting after the iftar program. We will hold a meeting and evaluate the situation together."

"IS THEIR CRIME TO HAVE STUDIED IN THE SAME CLASS AS THE NEXT PRESIDENT?"

CHP Chairman Özel responded to a question about who the 28 people covered by the decision are as follows:

"I don't have that information, but the other 27 people have a grievance like this: They burned their diplomas too because they were schoolmates of the person who defeated the President four times and will defeat him for the fifth time. The destruction and disregard of their diplomas is a great injustice. What is their crime? Is it to have studied in the same class as Turkey's next President?"

News Source: 12punto