Özgür Özel reveals for the first time: Trustee information received! 'The coup was coming in plain sight'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel appeared on a live broadcast for the first time since being re-elected at the extraordinary congress on April 6.

In the program aired on Halk TV, he disclosed the threat of a trustee appointment that emerged following the Saraçhane protests, which began after the detention and arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Özel, who was a guest of İsmail Küçükkaya, commented on the latest developments regarding the agenda as follows:

First of all, Mayor Ekrem sends his best regards to those who love him and those who are concerned about him. Mayor Ekrem is the same Ekrem you know. He is the one among us with the highest morale and the highest motivation.

Throughout the day, both visitors and lawyers come to see him. There are thousands of applications to the Ministry of Justice, primarily from members of parliament. He meets with everyone who receives approval. At the same time, he is constantly reading, working, and preparing. In other words, he is preparing for the days when he will serve the millions who stand by him outside with high motivation. I visited him for the third time yesterday. We discussed the upcoming process.

Last week, we held our party's congress. The Republican People's Party (CHP) emerged from the congress as a whole, having both refreshed its confidence and strengthened itself. From now on, the Republican People's Party will not carry out its journey only as a political party.

MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNMENT

The Republican People's Party's path forward is a step-by-step march to power. To achieve this, it will encompass all segments of society. It will walk this path together with both political parties and by embracing people from very different segments of society who are not members of any political party. We are going to take over the government. Look, there are polls.

LATEST STATUS IN THE POLLS

Every poll comes in better than the last. In the past, increases of 0.2 or 0.3 points are now much larger, and every incoming poll, regardless of which firm conducts it—whether they are close to the government, distant from the government, have subscribers, or work for private companies—is better. This places a great responsibility on all of us.

TRUSTEE THREAT

We received information about a trustee for us, for the İBB, and for the Istanbul Bar Association! The coup was coming in plain sight.

"Mayor Ekrem sends his best regards. Mayor Ekrem is the same Ekrem you know. He is the one among us with the highest morale and the highest motivation. Throughout the day, both visitors and lawyers come to see him. There are thousands of applications to the Ministry of Justice, primarily from members of parliament. He meets with everyone who receives approval. At the same time, he is constantly reading, working, and preparing. In other words, he is preparing for the days when he will serve the millions who stand by him outside with high motivation.

'THEY STAGED A COUP AGAINST THE ELECTED'

They staged a coup against the mayor elected by the nation; they staged a coup against the presidential candidate that Turkey would determine 4 days later on March 19. In my opinion, if the nation appreciates us, of course, they staged a coup against the next President. That coup, that day in Saraçhane—let us remind those who don't know Saraçhane—is located on a historic peninsula.

They isolated Saraçhane by removing and closing all bridges and viaducts, stopping the incoming metro, cutting off trains, and not allowing ferries. And they said that gathering more than 3 people is forbidden. Throughout all of Istanbul for 5 days. I made a call to Saraçhane that day. 155,000 people came that evening. It is unbelievable. And there were many obstacles. I mean, extraordinary obstruction in terms of transportation. Extraordinary. People walked from kilometers away; for example, one says, 'I walked 7 kilometers,' another says, 'I walked 3.5.'

We gathered here quickly. I was able to get here around 7:15. I suppose at 7:30, about 8-10 of us gathered in the room upstairs where you also came. The situation was as follows: The night before, an irrelevant institution had canceled Mayor Ekrem's diploma. I mean, the Istanbul University Faculty of Business Administration had issued the diploma. They were going to meet on Wednesday at 12:00 PM to discuss this. But they realized that the diploma would not be canceled. Because only two out of seven people were saying 'let's cancel it.' It was time for iftar. At 6:00 or 7:00 in the evening, they convened the Istanbul University board of directors—it has nothing to do with the diploma—and they canceled the diploma. We learned this at iftar.

I was at an iftar with families of martyrs and veterans in Ankara. Mayor Ekrem was at a home iftar. We said, 'These people have lost their minds.' I even said, 'This is not normal. They can't even wait for tomorrow noon. These people have lost their minds. Something is going to happen.' We went to bed uneasy anyway. We woke up at 6:00 AM. As I said, we gathered at 7:10. I said, 'Friends, I am going to Istanbul, but we must also defend the party.' Because I am revealing this for the first time that week. I mean, I am revealing it like this: You receive a lot of information, especially you journalists, you know much better.

Even our journalist friends had a hard time reaching us. Cameramen walked 3 kilometers with their cameras on their backs to get here. And when you approached the incredible obstacles, this time there were barriers, and police in front of the barriers. Everything was done to keep people away.

155,000 people broke through the barriers, found a way, and got there. Wednesday at 8:30 PM is the day when 155,000 people said to Turkey, 'We are not afraid, we are not surrendering, we will not give our elected mayor to anyone. We will not have a trustee appointed here.' And the next day, those 155,000 people became 250,000. On the third day, it was 550,000. On Sunday, the day of the primary, it was 1,200,000 people. In the past, numbers were debated. Now there are drones. The police also have drones. Saraçhane is the place where 1,200,000 people came without question and repelled a coup. That is a correct assessment. Let me put it this way: That morning, when the operation was carried out against Mayor Ekrem, at 6:50 AM, I informed my MYK (Central Executive Board) members. Most of them were already aware.

I said to Özgür Çelik: 'Who can we gather at Saraçhane?' He said: 'Our Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Council.' 'How many people?' 'About 160-something people.' I said: 'They should go to the council hall immediately. Do not leave there until I give another instruction. Because that is the council hall there.' I asked, 'Is the office open?' He said: 'It is open.' I said, 'Okay. Take security there. I will come there and we will defend that place. The coup will target this place, my friend,' I said.

Chairman Özgür said: 'I was at the Vatan Police Headquarters then.' I said to a group there: 'Keep a strong, vigorous group there. I will come, we will talk. Let's not make it a target early on. Because when you are 50 people there, they will come and take that place. A trustee can be appointed at any moment. Because if there is a terrorism investigation, they can appoint one at any moment.' I arrived in Istanbul. Before going to Vatan Police Headquarters, excuse me, before going to Saraçhane, we were on the road at the Bolu Tunnel. I thought, 'Am I doing the right thing?' I said: 'No. First, we need to give morale to Mayor Ekrem's family.' A visit to Dilek Hanım. I crossed the bridge. I saw Dilek Hanım and the children.

I gave a message to the press there. Because the family's morale, the human side of the matter, is also important. From there, I went to Saraçhane. We gathered with friends. I said: 'We will not leave this place. We will die, but we will not leave this place. We must defend this place. How many people will come?' They said: 'Everyone who can be reached will come after we call, but there is a protest ban. Not many people will come.' I said: 'We will stay here. I will sleep and wake up here,' I said. 'We will defend this building until everything is back to normal.' 'Let's make an announcement. We are waiting for everyone here at 8:30 PM. Those who want to can come throughout the day.' There was also a considerable crowd in front of the Vatan Police Headquarters. 3,000-4,000 people had gathered.

There was movement at Istanbul University. In the afternoon, Istanbul University broke the barriers and entered the square in the late afternoon. Chairman Özgür went to Vatan Police Headquarters. They broke the barriers in front of them towards this side. 4,000-5,000 people entered. We considered the 10,000 people there sufficient to defend this building. I sometimes struggle while describing it. I went out to the balcony. 'Where are these people coming from?' People are flowing from every side street. From every side street, people... It's flowing from their very marrow now. It's not something that can happen. I say: 'Ask them, how did they get here?' They say: 'He walked 7 kilometers and came.'