New Party Chairman Özgür Özel, regarding the joining of some CHP mayors to the AK Party, said, "I have never been this determined, resolute and have never made this much my own issue on any issue. First, we will change the government in Türkiye, and then the well-heeled Efes, the people from Afyon and the people from Izmir will look for a place to escape." he said.
Answering questions on the agenda in the live broadcast of NOW TV, Özel suggested that 100 people who have the right to vote in Istanbul be determined as a jury by lot regarding the detention of Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was suspended from his post as the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) after his arrest, and said that if one of these people expresses an opinion in favor of a prison sentence, they will accept it.
Özel stated that they are risking everything within the scope of the election and said, "We think that we will change this government with the support of those who risk everything. There is no other option other than that. Even though they have the power of the judiciary, even if they appoint all the governors and district governors, even if there is a party state that sees the police as its own police, the army as its own army, or even if the state's parties are intertwined, even if such an asymmetrical power is against us, the biggest weapon they are trying to use is to drive the nation to despair. In this country, we will reach that ballot box one way or another. We say we will get that election." he said.
"WE ARE NEVER INTO SUCH A BUSINESS"
Mehmet Uçum, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Legal Policies Board, said, "It is now largely clear that the 2028 elections may be held in March or April." When asked about his statement, Özel said, "What does it mean to be clear? There is a date. They decided on that date and said, 'This date has become clear.' he says. The condition for bringing the elections forward is clear in the Constitution: 360 deputies must vote. Mehmet Uçum 'This issue has become clear.' he says. What does this mean? Ignoring the will of the Parliament means insulting the MPs. As the New Party, I say that we will never, ever be involved in such a business, I took 91 of my deputies and put them aside." he said.
Özel criticized the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Murat Kurum, claiming that he made a transfer offer to CHP mayors.
Özgür Özel said that according to surveys, the majority of Türkiye does not find political transfers right and the transferred mayors face public reaction and said, "Afyon Mayor Burcu Köksal cannot walk on the street. They are no longer able to look at people's faces. You are doing politics in a political party. You had to part ways with that political party. You remained independent for a while. Then you go to a political party in the same direction. This also has rules of courtesy. If you shout for votes and join the AK Party with those votes, this is political." "It's pickpocketing." he said.
Reminding that Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay also joined the AK Party, Özel said:
"It makes me sick, it gives me goosebumps. Let it be this change of power - I know what he went there for - I would be dishonorable if I didn't hold that account from him with the same motive and at length and make him take a fuse out of his nose. He sold the people of Izmir to the AK Party. The AK Party accepted this without shame and now 'We took Izmir.' they say. First, we will change this government. After that, in the local elections, in order to break the record in Türkiye's local elections history and to get 31 municipalities out of 31, we will take back the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality in such a way that they will see that Cemil Tugay will not be able to come to the handover. I know what it is and where this will end. I say this clearly. I have never been this determined, determined and made this much my own issue on any issue. First, we will change the government in Türkiye, and then the well-heeled Efes, the people of Afyon and the people of Izmir will look for a place to escape. "I say it this clearly."
FUND INVESTIGATION
When asked about the fund investigations, New Party Chairman Özel stated that they were not involved in any of this, and that they were only in the place where the rights of the victims were sought.
Stating that the Parliament has two basic duties: legislation and supervision, Özel said, "The Parliament will perform its duty of supervision and ask questions. We are faced with a government that has kidnapped the president of the CMB, the head of the TMSF, and those who should answer the main questions from the Parliament. There is a great burden on the nation. They are missing those responsible for this job from the Parliament. This is the main dimension of the matter. The AK Party did not do this this time, it missed it in the coup, it missed it in the 17-25, it also kidnapped it in the fund." "So that no questions can be asked, no accountability can be held." he said.
Stating that MASAK should follow the transactions in question, Özel continued as follows:
"When Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya received the money for 24 flats in March and put it into this fund account with her husband, or in September, we are talking about an amount that is 2 thousand times more than the amount that will be on MASAK's radar, such as 2.1 billion liras. In other words, MASAK sees the anchovies, they caught a whale. MASAK does not know Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, right?"
FLOODS IN ISTANBUL
Özel expressed his condolences to the families of the citizens who lost their lives in the floods that occurred after the downpour in Istanbul.
Evaluating the overflows in the stream beds, Özel said, "We have struggled with the stream beds during the IMM period. We are not involved in opening any streams for development. The AK Party has previous Istanbul administrations and the Ministry of Urbanization." he claimed.
Referring to the Canal Istanbul project, Özel said, "Murat Kurum, who said, 'We should not build on the stream bed,' is currently building a whole project, the stream bed we call Canal Istanbul, and the place where it flows. All the responsibility belongs to Murat Kurum, the Canal Istanbul project. İmamoğlu, who says 'Either the canal or Istanbul' and tries to save Istanbul from settlement in the stream beds, is inside. The AK Party, which has allowed this to happen, has been in power for 25 years. The name of the minister responsible for these affairs of that government is Murat." It is the Institution.” he said.
Referring to the "İmamoğlu criminal organization for profit" case, Özel claimed that İmamoğlu responded to the allegations in the indictment with evidence in his defense, and claimed that Halk TV's voice was muted three hours before the defense began, this was to prevent the defense from being heard, and Halk TV, which came to the fore with its news about the funding allegations, was silenced.
Özel claimed that the opposition was being ledless and its voice was tried to be silenced through the interventions against his party, and argued that the actions against Halk TV were also part of this effort.
