DEM Party's Hatimoğulları on 'Free İmamoğlu' sign: 'We know what we are doing'

The Socialist International's Council Meeting, held every six months, took place in Istanbul under the host of the CHP.

Footage from the meeting showing DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları and DEM Party Group Deputy Chair Sezai Temelli not holding up ''Free İmamoğlu'' signs became a subject of debate on social media.

Hatimoğulları made a statement to journalists regarding the controversy.

STATEMENT FROM HATİMOĞULLARI: WE WERE CROWDED, THERE WERE FEW PHOTOS

DEM Party Co-Chair Hatimoğulları stated, “Our party has taken a very clear stance on the issue of trustee appointments. Very important objective journalism... Because we are going through a period where we are talking about peace. In this sense, a great responsibility falls on all of us. From those who report the news to those who speak.”

Explaining why she did not hold up the sign, Hatimoğulları said, “What happened today was exactly this; our numbers were high. There were few files left on the table, so there were few photos of Mr. İmamoğlu. Since our colleague Ebru Günay, who was standing right next to us, was having trouble opening the file, I helped her. Of course, I could have held up the photo too,” she expressed.

Hatimoğulları continued as follows:

“The most important issue we focus on is the issue of trustees and the detention and arrest of politicians and mayors. In our statement just yesterday, we condemned the arrest of İmamoğlu and the 4th wave of operations carried out yesterday. We know what we are doing, and we are sure of what we are doing. Believe me, we have no need for such approaches that have the potential to shake this process. Let the entire Turkish public be assured; as the DEM Party, we will be careful about the development of the peace process within the framework of democracy. We are very, very sure of our own ideas. What we have said is clear.”

SEZAİ TEMELLİ HAD ALSO MADE A STATEMENT

DEM Party Group Deputy Chair Sezai Temelli had also responded to a question at the Socialist International meeting in Istanbul regarding his party not holding up the visual that read "Freedom for İmamoğlu", saying, "Our party held it up, but it wasn't in front of us."

Answering journalists' questions, Temelli stated that their party members had held up the sign in question but that it was not in front of them, and noted the following:

“Our party held it up, but it wasn't in front of us. Otherwise, we are definitely fighting for there to be no political imprisonment in Turkey, for Mr. Ekrem, for Selahattin Demirtaş, and for Figen Yüksekdağ. Furthermore, Mr. Ekrem is also our joint candidate for mayor through the city consensus. In other words, we do not see Mr. Ekrem only as the candidate of the Republican People's Party. He was our joint candidate, and he was elected through city consensus. He was a mayor with whom we greatly enjoyed working.”