Spoke to İsmail Küçükkaya: Why did Özgür Özel meet with Taha Hüseyin Karagöz?

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel met with Taha Hüseyin Karagöz, who is known for targeting opposition figures on his social media account and previously worked at Yeni Şafak. The meeting was announced to the public by Karagöz.

Sharing on his X account, Karagöz stated, “My last stop in Ankara was CHP leader Mr. Özgür Özel. He was once again a polite and sincere host. He is planning new steps to soften the atmosphere in politics. It is not just about meeting, but also about embracing. These are truly promising developments for Turkish politics.”

JOURNALISTS REACTED

In December 2022, Karagöz targeted Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu by sharing footage of him dining at a restaurant with his wife, Dilek İmamoğlu. Karagöz also spread lies claiming that 'terrorists were working at the IMM'.

Karagöz had also made controversial statements regarding the H.K.G. case.

The visit in question quickly became a trending topic in the public eye. 

While Özel faced intense backlash, particularly from journalists, more than 70 thousand tweets were posted about the subject on social media.

ÖZGÜR ÖZEL'S STATEMENT REGARDING THAT PHOTO

Following the criticism, CHP leader Özel issued a statement regarding the photo in question.

Speaking to İsmail Küçükkaya from Halk TV, Özel said, “He stopped by for a wedding invitation; we were not going to turn him away at the door. He also hosted many CHP mayors on his programs during this local election period."

Özgür Özel’den o fotoğraf için açıklama (Özel): “Geçmişte televizyon programlarına katıldığım birisi. Dün de Ankara’da bir çok siyasiye uğramış. Bana da Meclis’te uğradı. Nikah davetiyesi verdi. Meclis’te kapının önünde biz seni içeri almayız diyecek halimiz yok.’

— Ismail Kucukkaya (@KucukkayaIsmail) May 8, 2024

News Source: 12punto