The Keçiören crisis in CHP reached its peak last night with Mayor Mesut Özarslan’s resignation statement that shook the agenda. Stating that he has been subjected to systematic smear campaigns by some cliques within the party due to his various visits recently, Özarslan emphasized that the rumors in question intensified even more after his meeting with the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum on January 6. Underlining that they met with the Institution on the problems of Keçiören, Özarslan also criticized CHP Chairman Özgür Özel with harsh words. Noting that Özel sent a message to him at 23.59 on the night of February 7, Özarslan said, “Would a chairman swear at the mayor? Would a chairman target and insult family values? Would a chairman threaten with unspeakable words? It is out of the question for me to serve in the ranks of the CHP anymore, especially in the face of messages that include my family values ​​and my sacred existence, my mother and my late father.” Noting that it is not possible to work healthily in an environment dominated by the tone in the messages, Özarslan said, “In this context, I am resigning from my CHP membership. At this point, unfortunately, Özgür Özel and his close colleagues have nothing left, neither the path of God, the homeland, the family, nor the values ​​we consider sacred, and all sanctities have been destroyed.” Özarslan continued his statement with the statement, “I am also calling out to my friends with whom I walked the road,” and said: “The cause is a cause of humanity. I invite them to save themselves from this structure, which has moved away from its founding codes and is managed in an immoral manner, not to take part in the immorality committed against me, and to show their reactions. What was done to me and my family today should not be forgotten; if there is no reaction, one day it will be done to them too.”

The tender was bribed by the criminal organization allegedly led by Aziz İhsan Aktaş, and the mayors, including Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin, Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, the evacuated Adana Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Zeydan Karalar and the released and reinstated Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, who were suspended from their duties after their arrest. Within the scope of the indictment prepared for the allegation of organizing the criminal proceedings, 200 defendants appeared before the judge for the first time on Tuesday, January 27. During the two-week period of the trial, which was held in the large courtroom at the Marmara Penal Institutions Silivri Campus, the defenses of 33 defendants, including the detained defendant Rıza Akpolat, who was suspended from his post as Beşiktaş Mayor and requested to be imprisoned from 113 to 337 years, and other detained mayors, were completed. As the trial enters its 3rd week tomorrow, in the hearing to be held this week, the defenses of 158 undetained defendants will begin to be taken, especially the undetained defendant Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who was requested to be imprisoned from 187 to 450 years in the indictment and who was cited as the leader of the organization and who was released on June 4, 2025 within the scope of effective remorse provisions. UAV

In Eskişehir, AK Party member Mihalgazi Mayor Zeynep Güneş Akgün was insulted by İYİ Party member Mehmet Emin Korkmaz through her attire. In his post on social media, Korkmaz said, “Look at the Mayor of Eskişehir/Mihalgazi! Is the duty of this political Islamist woman in shalwars to govern the district or to milk cows in her barn?” He said: Korkmaz closed his social media accounts after the reactions. Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç emphasized that discriminatory and derogatory posts regarding the targeting of President Akgün based on clothing, belief and lifestyle are unacceptable, and stated that the legal process will be carried out with determination.

REACTION FROM ÖMER ÇELİK

Korkmaz, on whom an ex officio investigation was launched by the Eskişehir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office for the crime of ‘inciting the public to hatred and hostility or humiliating’ in accordance with Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code within the scope of crimes against public peace, was taken into custody. Korkmaz was taken to court and arrested. AK Party Deputy Chairman and Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik said, “We condemn the hate speech directed at our esteemed president. We will continue to fight against the politics of hate. We will hold this focus of hate, which attacked our president, to account on the basis of law.” Thanking the representatives of political parties, Çelik said, “This common sensitivity against hate speech is a great value of our country.” Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said, “This immoral attack targeting Ms. Zeynep Güneş is a clear disrespect directed not only at a mayor, but at millions of women who stand by their labor, work, produce and add value to our country, and directly towards the will of our nation. We will never accept or normalize this indecent and self-aware mentality directed at women.” İYİ Party General Secretary Osman Ertürk Özel stated that Korkmaz was referred to the disciplinary board with a request for expulsion.

Following the normalization process that started between Türkiye and Greece, there was an increase in high-level contacts. Greek Prime Minister Kiryakos Mitsotakis will come to Türkiye on Wednesday as the guest of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. During Mitsotakis’ visit, the 6th Meeting of the Turkey-Greece High Level Cooperation Council will be held. Political, economic, commercial and cultural relations will be discussed. Steps that can be taken to increase the bilateral trade volume, which is 6.7 billion dollars in 2025, to 10 billion dollars will be discussed. Views will be exchanged on regional security, geopolitical developments and global issues. Türkiye’s contribution is expected to come to the agenda, especially in the face of the NATO mission and Europe’s security priorities. At the annual evaluation press conference held last month, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, when asked about the expectations from the Erdoğan-Miçotakis meeting, said, “There is only one step. We will sit down with an intention and will to solve the existing problems and we will not leave the table until the problem is solved.”

Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç attended the mawlid program held at the Sultanahmet Mosque for Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi, who lost his life in a knife attack in Kadıköy, and made important statements.

Stating that the legislation regarding children dragged into crime should be re-evaluated, Tunç said, “The idea that a comprehensive research should be carried out in terms of eliminating the reasons that push children to crime and the measures to be taken and a law change should be made according to the results has emerged in our parliament. Currently, this commission is continuing its work. These legal regulations will be brought to the agenda in our parliament according to the report that will be created after the commission’s work is completed.”

Stating that they meticulously followed the investigation into the murder of Atlas Çağlayan in Güngören, Minister Tunç said, “Four people who threatened the Çağlayan family on social media were identified and arrested. Again, Ahmet Minguzzi’s family was threatened on social media. 3 people who threatened the family and 1 person who destroyed the grave were sentenced to up to 5 years in prison.”

Ahmet Minguzzi’s mother, Yasemin Minguzzi, said, “There are two acquittals. They must definitely go in. We do not accept this. We met with the Minister of Justice and our President and got their word.”

“CHP IS BEING AWAY FROM ITS CORE VALUES”

Drawing attention to the founding identity of the Republican People’s Party, Özarslan said, “This is Atatürk’s party, the founding element of the Republic. However, they are trying to distance it from its core values. It is unacceptable to protest the country in foreign countries. This is one of the biggest mistakes made.” Özarslan also touched upon MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli’s approach to the Kurdish issue and criticized CHP’s attitude on this issue. Özarslan said, “It is not understandable to avoid the table on an issue based on brotherhood, which is put forward for the future of the country. In my opinion, this is among the wrong policies.”

“ÖZGÜR ÖZEL SHOULD NOT DECEIVE CHP members”

Social media is collapsing, I said this too shall pass. I was a CHP mayor, the first message came at 23.59, messages came one after another. Unreasonable expressions, unspeakable insults, I have never seen such messages. The leader of a party founded by Atatürk could never be this light-hearted. I am calling out from here, Özgür Özel, with what right do you have the right to put out these messages with dirty accusations of cataracting my mother and my late father, you have neither humanity, morality, manliness, nor CHP membership. If you have honor and integrity, you would resign from the head of the party. Let him come out and deny it, the one who doesn’t prove it is dishonorable. I will resign from the Mayor of Keçiören, he should also resign from the Mayor, shouting in the squares is not enough. He should not deceive CHP members, he should not deceive nationalists, he should not go to Belgium and criticize our country. This country was not established easily.

WARNING TO MANSUR YAVAŞ: ‘IT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU TOO TOMORROW’

Addressing Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş, Özarslan argued that what he experienced could happen to other mayors as well. Özarslan said, “Everyone stays in an environment where they are happy, peaceful and safe. I am calling out to Mayor Mansur and other mayors: This situation happened to me today, it will happen to you tomorrow too.” “Are you angry with Mansur Yavaş?” Answering the question, Özarslan said, “I am only angry because he has not taken care of me lately. I have no other resentment.”