Ousted CHP mayor calls imprisonment 'baseless,' awaits trial
Turkish main opposition CHP's jailed district mayor Ahmet Özer has called the imprisonment and "terrorism" charges against him "baseless" and urged for his indictment.
Duvar English
Lawmaker Utku Çakırözer of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on Dec. 18 visited the party’s ousted district mayor Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özer at Istanbul’s Marmara prison.
Çakırözer also visited Gezi trial convicts Can Atalay, Tayfun Kahraman, Osman Kavala, Mine Özerden, and Çiğdem Mater.
Özer said that he had been imprisoned for 50 days due to a “baseless, empty case file.”
He continued, “By keeping me here, they are obstructing services to Esenyurt and punishing its residents. I hope to receive my indictment soon and stand before a judge.”
Through Çakırözer, Özer said: “Six other municipalities also have trustees, but none of those mayors are imprisoned. I am not saying they should be jailed, but there is an enormous injustice against me. I have written 38 books and 200 articles. I am a scholar.”
Following his visits, Çakırözer called for the immediate preparation of Özer’s indictment and his release. He stated, “I met with him, and he is full of energy, focused on his plans for Esenyurt and Istanbul. The social projects, food banks, roadwork, and aid he shared left a strong impression.”
He also said his detention is directly tied to his dedication to expanding these projects. “We always say, the will of the people cannot be overthrown by trustees. Mayor Ahmet Özer must regain his freedom, and his indictment must be expedited so he can stand trial.”
He continued, “Trustees imposed through such interventions will not strengthen democracy. For Turkey to uphold democracy and the rule of law, no one should be imprisoned for their views, good service, or political affiliations. Keeping opposition figures, elected mayors, and MPs in prison will not bring democracy to Turkey. The country must rid itself of this disgrace and release political prisoners immediately.”
After meeting with Gezi trial convicts, Çakırözer added, “Kavala has been imprisoned for seven years, and the others for nearly three years, separated from their families and loved ones. For what? Simply because the government wants to criminalize the Gezi protests.”
“Their files have been before the Constitutional Court for 1.5 years. Lower courts, appeals courts, and the Supreme Court have failed to address this injustice,” he asserted.
Çakırözer warned that the European Court of Human Rights may rule that Turkey’s Constitutional Court is no longer a viable legal avenue, as it failed to enforce the ECHR ruling for Kavala’s release. “The court must seize this opportunity to free these people and end this injustice. It is time to lift the stain of the Gezi trial from Turkey,” he concluded.