CHP Chairman Özgür Özel answered questions on journalist Deniz Zeyrek’s YouTube channel.
Özel spoke as follows regarding Fenerbahçe Sports Club President Sadettin Saran being detained due to drug investigation and released under judicial control:
“As a whole, there is a very bad process management, even a malicious process management. Of course, drug-related operations can be carried out, there can be invitations to testify, things required by law can be done according to the test results. But the issue itself is at the very beginning, considering the fact that Sadettin Saran jumped on the first plane after the news that emerged while he was abroad during the detention period, went to testify by himself in the early hours of the morning, and his attitude while going to the statement. While there should be complete confidentiality regarding the result of the test, at the point of protection of personal data, suddenly Sadettin Saran’s test information was revealed.” It is shared simultaneously and in a coordinated manner with all the press, on social media accounts and operational accounts on social media. It is obvious that there is a preparation and perception management here.
“It is obvious that there is hostility”
First of all, who manages this? If the chief prosecutor’s office is in charge of this operation, it means that the chief prosecutor’s office is also managing this perception operation. The results of the test there are also entrusted to them. They are the ones making the privacy decision. Then, when Sadettin Saran was at the Fenerbahçe Club, the gendarmerie literally raided the club and took him away. Beyond carelessness, it was malicious and hostile. This really makes one feel that there are other intentions beyond the purpose in the work done. While expressing my feelings of solidarity in the phone call I made to the Vice President of the club, I expressed my feelings of solidarity with the Fenerbahçe community and expressed it in a humane way. No matter which club, which team, which community this operation is carried out in this way, it is obvious that there is hostility and bad will. It is impossible to accept this.
“We need to demand an end to this assassination of reputation and dignity, without waiting for people’s turn to come.”
Apart from that, in the rule of law, for example, you call someone who came on his own while abroad, give him information, take his statement, meet with his lawyers, and do whatever is necessary. But what does it mean to put the gendarmerie at the door of a club founded in 1907 and take away its president? Moreover, in sports clubs – it is like this all over the world, but it is especially so here – there is a state of mind that is identified with the president of the sports club, where the fans feel that what is done to the president is done to them, and this is an extremely justified situation. In this case, the Ministry of Justice should put an end to this nonsense as soon as possible, the HSK, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor… While it was being done to the CHP, maybe one side of the issue was political and people were looking at it differently because ‘There is polarization’. Currently, for example, CHP, AK Party and MHP members have seen what is happening to CHP means. Tomorrow, when another hut is built, someone else will understand this. That’s why we must all demand an end to this assassination of reputation and dignity, without waiting for people’s turn to come.
“The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office’s attitude, which has reached the level of spoiling, needs to be put in order.”
I would also like to express this: They are taking 20 people away. They take strands of hair and send them away. All the media has been stomping on it for 15 days. Social media is abuzz. Then three or four of them test positive. What happens to the other 16? What happens to the families of the other 16? What happens to your child going to school? What happens to his mother’s neighbor? So now everyone should come to their senses. “These attitudes of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, which have now reached the level of malicious and spoiled behavior, must be put in order, and the HSK must do its duty.”
“It seems that those who need to touch the barons in Türkiye do not have the power to do so.”
CHP Leader Özel gave the following answer to the question of whether operations could be a solution to the drug problem:
“On the contrary, this fight against drugs is actually a national security issue. It is an issue that needs to be revealed in terms of both internal security issue and foreign relations. Now the barons of the world are in relations with Turkey. Who is the baron in the world in contact with in Türkiye? Is he in contact with the end user? Does he have an activity for the end user? No, the baron works with the baron. So, who are the barons in Türkiye? Our friends asked during the budget negotiations, who is Türkiye’s Escobar, who are the Escobars? Nothing about this.” There is no work. Apparently, in these matters, the barons in the world do not contact the end users in that country, the barons there, who is the baron here? Apparently, those who need to touch the barons in Türkiye do not have the power. The ship that brought it is there, the baron in Türkiye is not there, we need to look at this issue.
“The discussion is aimed at covering up the main discussion.”
Apart from that, the discussion involving many tabloid or famous names and based on the private lives of these people seems to be aimed at covering up the main discussion and creating a fog effect. They want these magazine discussions to be talked about and no one to ask about this side of the matter. But this is the main part of the job; instead of creating an agenda with the end user or people who are claimed to be end users through magazine news, it is necessary to find the main dealer in Türkiye at the very beginning, punish it and go after it.”
