Turkish prosecutors have launched a new criminal investigation into Özgür Özel, leader of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), over remarks he made about a public prosecutor involved in an ongoing crackdown on his party, the state-run TRT Haber reported.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, led by Akın Gürlek, announced the probe on Wednesday. Özel is accused of “publicly insulting a public official” and “making threats” after criticizing Cahit Cihad Sarı, a prosecutor working on operations targeting the CHP-run İstanbul Municipality.
Özel made the comments in question during a press conference on Wednesday in Silivri, following the conviction of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, also from the CHP and strongest political rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a politically charged case.
İmamoğlu, currently jailed on corruption charges, was convicted on Wednesday of insulting and threatening Gürlek, who is leading the legal crackdown on him and his party. He was given a prison sentence of 17 months for insulting a public official and two months for issuing a threat and faces a political ban if his conviction is upheld.
In his statement Özel accused Sarı, referring to him only by his initials, of intimidating and threatening CHP officials and politicians detained in ongoing investigations and alleged that he pressured them into making false statements.
He went on to denounce the seizure of private businesses belonging to jailed CHP politicians such as İmamoğlu and accused the prosecutor of operating with impunity and cruelty.
“Why are you targeting 60-year-old companies built by hardworking families?” Özel asked, calling for accountability and invoking religious values to denounce the alleged injustice.
A Turkish court in March ordered the seizure of a construction company owned by the İmamoğlu family following the mayor’s detention on March 19. The seized company was İmamoğlu İnşaat, and Mayor İmamoğlu was among its partners.
White Toros criticism
Özel also condemned the display of a miniature white Renault Toros on the prosecutor’s desk, a car viewed in Turkey as a symbol of extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances in the 1990s.
“You arrogant man. You put a white Toros on your desk. Who are you threatening?” Özel said.
The white Renault Toros became infamous in the 1990s as the vehicle allegedly used by the clandestine Gendarmerie Intelligence and Anti-Terror Unit (JİTEM) to abduct and kill Kurdish businessmen, suspected militants and political opponents. Many victims were never found, fueling fears and conspiracy theories for decades.
“Everyone knows what the white Toros symbolizes,” Özel said.
In addition to the investigation into Özel, the prosecutor’s office said it has launched a separate probe into social media posts targeting Sarı following Özel’s statements.
The CHP has been under a harsh crackdown for about a year that has so far led to the arrest of 17 CHP mayors and dozens of party officials.
The pressure on the CHP and its municipalities has intensified since the arrest of İmamoğlu. Critics say the sweeping probes are aimed at weakening the opposition and consolidating power ahead of a potential snap election and preventing the presidential candidacy of İmamoğlu.
