In his speech at his party’s Grand National Assembly Group Meeting, CHP leader Özgür Özel claimed that Mesut Özarslan contacted the Ankaragücü tribune leaders and claimed that Özarslan asked for support from the tribune leaders during his transition to the AK Party. Özel claimed that Özarslan told the tribune leaders, “I am joining the AK Party group on Wednesday, stand with me as Ankaragücü,” and even promised a tribune leader an apartment. Following these allegations, a written statement came from Mesut Özarslan. Özarslan, who started his statement by saying “My dear fellow countrymen”, argued that Özgür Özel lied to the public in his group speech dated February 10, 2026.

“HE IS MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT”

Özarslan stated that Özgür Özel distorted the content of the messages he sent to him and said: “Mr. Özgür Özel lied to his closest colleagues, MPs, mayors and the public by changing the swear words and insults in the messages he sent to me, and by not disclosing other insulting messages. It does not suit a chairman to make a false statement by looking into people’s eyes.”

“THIS STRUGGLE IN THE PIT OF LIE”

Özarslan, who harshly rejected the allegations against Ankaragücü tribune leaders, stated that these words were “unfounded and slanderous”. In his statement, Özarslan reminded that Ankaragücü Board Member Muammer Polat and club officials denied the allegations and said:

“The claim that I told the Ankaragücü tribune leader, ‘I am moving to the AK Party, support me, I will buy you a flat’ is completely untrue. These statements have been clearly denied by Ankaragücü Board Member Muammer Polat and other officials. In addition, the tribune groups have also strongly denied these allegations on their social media accounts. I feel sorry for the Chairman’s struggles in the pit of lies he has fallen into.”

The promises made to the workers in CHP’s Buca Municipality, which has frequently become the constant address of worker protests because it did not pay workers’ salaries and social rights arising from the collective bargaining agreement on time, were again not kept. This being the case, the Management of Izmir Branch No. 6 of the General Labor Union, affiliated with DİSK, organized in the Buca Mar Company affiliated with the municipality, where 1800 workers work, decided to go on an indefinite work stoppage. Employees who came to the municipality’s main building on Menderes Street yesterday morning printed cards but did not start work. In the statement made by DİSK Genel-İş Union İzmir Branch No. 6, it was pointed out that no payment has been made even though approximately 40 days have passed since the previously given payment date.

THE MUNICIPALITY IS IN DEBT TANK

Announcing the start of a work stoppage in all units of the municipality, the union stated that municipal workers no longer have the economic power to endure, and that workers crushed under the burden of debt have difficulty finding travel money even to go to work. In the statement, it was underlined that the responsibility for what happened was not the union but the municipality administration, which did not fulfill its promises to the workers. Buca Mayor Görkem Duman received a loan authorization of 375 million liras from the municipal council to pay workers’ receivables. It was learned that banks did not give loans to the debt-ridden municipality.

Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan, who announced his resignation from CHP with a statement on social media the day before after CHP Chairman Özgür Özel sent him abusive messages, held a press conference yesterday regarding the scandal. PRESSURE AND MOBBING

Özarslan said, “As you can see, we are on our duty. We will continue to serve the public. While we were aiming to raise the services to higher levels, some people started an incredible pressure and mobbing on us. The messaging incidents with the Chairman two days ago are a curse and an insult to my family. In such an environment, we announced that we will no longer be in the CHP and that we resigned. We will continue to serve our people with the motto of serving the public. We will continue on our way by protecting the rights of all voters who voted for us on March 31.” he said. “I filed a criminal complaint against CHP Chairman Özgür Özel to the prosecutor’s office,” said Özarslan, adding, “Other members of my family also wanted to do so. We are people of the great Turkish nation, we do not speak disrespectfully to anyone. It saddens us all that a party founded by Atatürk has fallen into such a situation. I will not ignore the attacks on my family. I am an honorable, honorable, Muslim Turkish child. I am sure that the great Turkish justice will be held accountable for this. I called my pilgrim mother ‘badly’.” “I will be held accountable for the words ‘woman’, who treated my late father as if he did not exist. Özel, you will be tried and punished for the messages you sent to me. This state will do whatever is right, law and justice within the framework of my criminal complaint.”

HERE ARE THOSE MESSAGES

It was seen that the messages CHP Chairman Özel sent to Özarslan included heavy insults and threats. Regarding the private matter, he said to journalists close to the CHP, “I may have said go away.” However, it was determined that the resulting messages contained much more severe profanities.

Some of the statements allegedly mentioned in the messages are as follows: “Actually, you confess that you are a thief and dishonorable. But when the day comes, I will make it against you. You confessed that you are a thief, corrupt, and despicable. But the day will come when you will turn around and fall into my hands. I would be disgraced if I felt sorry for you that day. Dog. S… go. Low dog s… go. Slacker. Characterless bastard…. The mother who gave birth to you would be ashamed of you.”

A SHAMEY EXAMPLE OF UNPRINCIPLED POLITICS

Former CHP Deputy Chairman Yılmaz Ateş directed harsh criticism to the CHP administration after the resignation of Keçiören Mayor Özarslan. Sharing a post on his social media account, Ateş said, “What happened in the CHP, which was transformed with the 2010 conspiracy, are examples of the shame of unprincipled politics. Decision-makers who see CHP members as unqualified employees and sacrifice the presidency, deputies and mayoralties piece by piece to populism are also responsible and partners in the ugliness that happened.” ANKARA

ÖZARSLAN CALLED YAVAŞ: IT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU TOO TOMORROW

Addressing CHP’s Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş in a broadcast he was a guest in the previous day, Özarslan stated that what he experienced could happen to other mayors as well and said, “I am calling out to Mayor Mansur and other mayors. This situation happened to me today, it will happen to you tomorrow too. I am only angry because he did not take care of me recently.”

‘PRESSURE INCREASED AFTER MY VISIT TO THE MINISTER INSTITUTION’

Özarslan said that the reason behind the pressure put on him by CHP leader Özel was the meeting he had with the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Murat Kurum, on January 6, with the aim of solving the problems of the district. Noting that the visit was turned into a ‘perception operation’ by some groups within the party, Özarslan stated that he was faced with a systematic gossip process. Emphasizing that his relationship with Murat Kurum is a long-standing school and work friendship, Özarslan said, “After this visit, his pressure on me increased.”

‘WHY DID YOU DELETE THE MESSAGES?’

Özarslan said, “Özgür Özel deleted the messages. Why did you delete them, Özgür Özel? Doesn’t the state or technology see this? Don’t you think there are HTS records?” he said. Answering the question about his political future, Özarslan stated that he comes from a conservative family and said, “I come from a conservative family in Sivas. Neither AKP nor MHP is far from the education in which I was raised. We will see.” These words were interpreted as Özarslan giving the green light to the possibility of transition to the People’s Alliance.

Sultan Abdulhamid II, the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, was not only a ruler during the difficult period he ruled between 1876 and 1909; He also distinguished himself as a strategist, reformer and visionary statesman. Although he was subjected to black propaganda by the imperialists and their extensions as the ‘Red Sultan’, he was referred to as the ‘Great Hakan’ and ‘Sky Sultan’ by the Turkish-Islamic world.

Sultan Abdulhamid II, who was on the throne during the most difficult periods of the Ottoman Empire and ruled the state with great mastery for 33 years within a ring of fire, is commemorated with mercy on the 108th anniversary of his passing into eternity. Sultan Abdulhamid II, who reigned for 33 years during one of the most turbulent periods of the Ottoman Empire, went down in history as the last great ruler who kept the empire alive with his diplomatic intelligence, state mind and reforms. Sultan Abdulhamid passed away on February 10, 1918.

HE ATTACHED IMPORTANCE TO EDUCATION

Sultan Abdulhamid, who gave special importance to education during his reign, laid the foundations of the modern Ottoman education system. During his reign, high schools, sultans, teacher training schools and vocational schools were opened. Hejaz Railway Project is not just a transportation line; It went down in history as a strategic step that connected the Islamic world. Speaking to SABAH, Prof. Dr. Necmettin Alkan said, “The 33-year period of Sultan Hamid was recorded as a period of breakthrough for the state. The groundwork created by this breakthrough made serious contributions to the process of establishing modern Türkiye.” Noting that education has also been expanded, Alkan said, “Many vocational schools have been opened in agriculture, finance, law, veterinary medicine, commerce, agriculture and many other fields. Thus, primary and secondary education in the ‘Western style’ spread throughout the country under the supervision and with the help of the state. Abdulhamid II was instrumental in Türkiye’s introduction to constitutional government.”

In order to reach more foreign students with the Turkey Scholarships given by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), the YTB Cultural Ambassadors Meeting program was organized at Ibn Haldun University (IHU) Başakşehir Campus between 8-11 February. Within the scope of the program attended by 40 international students and 10 graduates from universities in Türkiye, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Ibn Haldun University Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Rector of Ibn Haldun University Prof. Dr. Atilla Arkan and YTB President Abdulhadi Turus met with international students in the panel titled “Türkiye’s international education vision”.

THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT THE PROBLEMS

Speaking at the panel, Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Ibn Haldun University, said, “While these turbulent processes are going on in the world, we see that Western civilization, which we see as the dominant power of the system with issues such as wars, genocides, conflicts, injustices, the rising right, fascism and radicalism, is no longer interested in these problems. Let alone producing these problems, it does not even take these problems into its agenda anymore.” Pointing out that Türkiye does not grant scholarships because they are a commercial source of income, Erdoğan said, “Therefore, it is very critical for us that our guest students and international students are individuals who know and promote Türkiye correctly in the countries they visit. This is a gain for our country.”

WE ARE DIFFERENT FROM WESTERN ORGANIZATIONS

Stating that Western aid organizations focus on the understanding of influencing the politics of the aided country and shaping its fate according to themselves, Erdoğan said, “Türkiye does not have such a problem. We provide aid to many countries without any real expectations.”

Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) announced the “Address-Based Population Registration System 2025 Results”. Accordingly, the country’s population, which was 85 million 664 thousand 944 as of 2024, increased by 427 thousand 224 people last year, reaching 86 million 92 thousand 168 people.

While the annual population growth rate was 3.4 per thousand in 2024, this rate increased to 5 per thousand in 2025. Although the increase rate increased compared to the previous year, the proportion of the population in the 0-14 age group decreased from 26.4 percent to 20.4 percent.

The rate of people residing in provincial and district centers was 93.4 percent in 2024 and 93.6 percent in 2025. The proportion of people living in towns and villages decreased from 6.6 percent to 6.4 percent.

The rate of the male population was recorded as 50.02 percent, and the rate of the female population was 49.98 percent.

The foreign population residing in Türkiye increased by 38 thousand 968 people compared to the previous year and was recorded as 1 million 519 thousand 515 people.

Within the scope of foreign national population, the highest number of people of Turkmenistan origin in Türkiye was (170 thousand 411), followed by Iraq (147 thousand 469), Afghanistan (132 thousand 707), Germany (111 thousand 218), Azerbaijan (92 thousand 830), Iran (91 thousand 672), Russia (75 thousand 914) and Syria (75 thousand 202). In Türkiye, where people from 143 different countries live, it was observed that there are 464 people living in Turkey who are not affiliated with any state through citizenship. ANKARA

ESENYURT EXCEEDED 1 MILLION

The population of Istanbul increased by 52 thousand 451 people compared to the previous year, reaching 15 million 754 thousand 53 people. When the population distribution by districts was examined, Istanbul’s Esenyurt district ranked first with 1 million 3 thousand 905 people. Thus, for the first time in Türkiye, the population of a district exceeded 1 million. Esenyurt was followed by Gaziantep’s Şahinbey district with 957 thousand 792 people.

THE RATE OF NEVER MARRIED IS HIGHER FOR MEN

When the distribution of marital status by gender in 2009 and 2025 in Türkiye was examined, it was seen that the rate of never-married men was higher than women, and the rate of women whose spouses died and divorced was higher than men. The rate of the population in the 15-64 age group was 66.5 percent in 2007 and 68.5 percent in 2025. The proportion of the population aged 65 and over increased from 7.1 percent to 11.1 percent.