CHP to continue vigil against trustee appointment in Istanbul

Duvar English

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chair Özgür Özel made statements on Nov. 18, the 20th day of the party’s vigil protesting the government’s appointment of a trustee to Istanbul’s Esenyurt district municipality.

“Today, there is no trustee in Esenyurt Municipality. A trustee is a legal term, but what has been done in Esenyurt is outright occupation,” said Özel. 

Özel stated that the CHP would not remain silent in the face of an occupation, and declared the vigil would continue until previous mayor Ahmet Özer returned to duty. 

“We have decided to continue our resistance in Esenyurt until Ahmet Özer returns to duty. Until Ahmet Özer returns to his role, the acting mayor should be elected from among the municipal council members,” the party chair announced.

Özel added that the party would organize neighborhood meetings across Esenyurt to discuss Özer’s promises and address unfinished projects.

He pointed out the public’s disapproval of the trustee, stating, “Although we were elected with 51 percent of the votes, according to surveys, 80 percent of Esenyurt residents disapprove of Özer’s arrest. The conscience of people has rejected the trustee decision.”

Özel criticized Özer’s arrest, calling it “baseless and unjust”. He said, “They raided the home of Ahmet Özer, a true patriot and family man, in the middle of the night. He answered all their questions, yet they jailed him with empty allegations. His lawyers submitted a 40-page objection, but it was dismissed in just 40 minutes, without proper review.”

He reminded the government of their past relationship with Özer, saying, “You cannot declare a man you consulted for years, a criminal or a terrorist. CHP will not let this matter rest.”

Özel concluded with a call to action, saying, “If we stop resisting, these injustices will spread across Turkey and all of Istanbul. We won’t allow someone who cannot win elections to avoid the ballot box by staging a coup. We will protect the ballot box, the people, and their will.”

He invited Esenyurt residents, democratic forces, and all political parties to continue this fight for democracy relentlessly.

Lawyers for Esenyurt’s detained mayor submitted their requests regarding his case file to the prosecutor’s office at an Istanbul courthouse. They later made a statement outside the courthouse.

Lawyer Hasan Sınar said, “Ahmet Özer has been deprived of his freedom since October 30. We have lodged objections to vague and baseless allegations that do not constitute a crime in any way.”

He added, “Following our appeals, the Constitutional Court process has commenced. We will file an application with the Constitutional Court by the end of the month at the latest.”

Esenyurt district mayor Özer was arrested on Oct. 30 on alleged charges of "membership in the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) armed terrorist organization." 

The government undemocratically appointed a trustee to replace Özer, in a move some called an intimidation against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. 

Following the trustee appointment, a trustee was also assigned to the Municipal Council on Nov. 4, resulting in no elected officials remaining in the municipality.