Özgür Özel Slams TRT and Anadolu Agency Over “Manipulated Footage” Claims

At a gathering in Silivri organized by the Family Solidarity Network, CHP leader Özgür Özel delivered one of his most forceful speeches yet, sharply criticizing Turkey’s state broadcaster TRT and the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA). Speaking before families of municipal officials detained in the March 19 operation, Özel accused the outlets of airing manipulated and misleading footage, arguing that such practices have deepened injustice and public mistrust.

The Family Solidarity Network, formed by relatives of detained mayors and municipal employees, held its 23rd meeting in Silivri. Özel’s presence turned the event into a pointed political message, as he framed the detentions not as isolated legal cases but as part of a broader pattern of political pressure. According to Özel, the prolonged detentions without indictments reflect a deliberate strategy to intimidate families and extract fabricated accusations.

“This Cruelty Will Have a Price”

Addressing the audience, Özel said the delays were not accidental. He argued that prosecutors had intentionally postponed indictments to exhaust families psychologically and politically. He contrasted these cases with others across Turkey where indictments are prepared within weeks. In Silivri, he noted, some families have waited eight or nine months without clarity.

Özel accused prosecutors and authorities of attempting to manufacture evidence where none exists, stating that the goal was to force detainees into accusing one another. He described the families present as united not by ideology alone, but by a shared experience of being targeted for “disturbing those in power.”

TRT and AA Accused of Misleading Broadcasts

One of the most striking parts of Özel’s speech focused on TRT’s coverage of a raid involving Gaziosmanpaşa Mayor Hakan. Özel recalled how TRT aired footage suggesting that dollars were found in a municipal safe. He rejected the claim outright, saying the official search record showed only a municipal seal and a hard drive.

Referring directly to TRT, Özel said:
“You are broadcasting with his taxes and with our taxes. A seal came out of the safe, but you spread the lie that ‘money came out.’ This cruelty will have a price.”

According to Özel, Anadolu Agency later admitted that the images were stock footage labeled “dollars found in a safe” and not specific to the case. He claimed journalists justified the broadcast by saying, “We were acting on instructions from higher up.”

Allegations of Political Motivation

Özel framed the detention of Hakan as politically motivated, arguing that his arrest allowed an AK Party member to take control of the municipality. He said prosecutors were unable to draft an indictment because no crime could be substantiated. “If they write the indictment, Hakan will walk free and return to office,” Özel asserted.

He went further, claiming direct political interference:
“Erdoğan told the prosecutor, ‘Take Hakan so I can take the municipality.’ Then they told the media, ‘Make him look guilty so people don’t ask why.’”

“This Is Mussolini’s Method”

In one of the most controversial parts of his address, Özel compared the ongoing detentions to pre-judicial punishment. He stated:
“Keeping these people inside is Mussolini’s method of pre-execution. It is punishment before trial.”

Özel highlighted what he described as a double standard: Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who faces charges totaling up to 700 years and has admitted to leading a criminal organization, is being tried under house arrest. Meanwhile, elected officials who could receive no prison time even if convicted remain behind bars.

Calls for Live Broadcasts of Trials

Özel also renewed calls for live broadcasts of court proceedings, arguing that transparency would expose the weakness of the accusations. He mocked political figures who say, “We wish trials were broadcast live,” responding, “What do you mean ‘wish’? Pass the law.”

He outlined a hypothetical but detailed legislative path to enable live broadcasts within 48 hours, challenging all parties to support it. According to Özel, the reason authorities resist transparency is simple: ordinary citizens would see the lack of evidence. He illustrated this with everyday imagery, saying barbers, ironers, and greengrocers would openly question the logic of months-long detentions over unproven claims.

“If the Death Penalty Still Existed…”

Özel concluded with a stark historical comparison, recalling past mass trials in Silivri. He said:
“If the death penalty had not been abolished, these friends would have been executed today.”

He reminded listeners that figures once labeled as traitors later had their innocence confirmed, while the prosecutors who pursued them fled or were imprisoned. Drawing a direct line between past and present, Özel argued that the same mindset was once again punishing families, spouses, and children of political opponents.

Ending his speech, Özel insisted that the families’ demand was simple: fair indictments, trials without detention, and an end to what he described as politically driven justice. “We trust our friends,” he said, adding that no one should expect forgiveness for deliberate injustice.