Mesut Özarslan, the mayor of Keçiören, said about him: “I understand that you are a thief. You are trying to save yourself by compromising with those who know you are a thief. Those who file criminal complaints against you will swallow those words. This is not the AKP era, it is ending. When our era begins, I will not forgive you even if you beg or burn.” CHP Chairman Özgür Özel filed a criminal complaint against him for the statements he made about him in a group meeting.
Özarslan, who is rumored to switch to the AK Party after his resignation, answered the questions of Sözcü newspaper Ankara Representative Saygı Öztürk.
“I DON'T GIVE A DAMN”
“CHP has 20 percent of the votes, I have more than 30 percent. Now they shouldn't let me talk. If I won the election, a CHP supporter cannot call me a ‘traitor.’ For him to call me a ‘traitor’, if I do not provide services to their neighborhoods, to their individuals for three years, if I do not fulfill their demands, if I fail to provide municipal services, then let him come and say, ‘Well, my friend, I gave my vote to that man, may it be poisoned.’ The municipality is not a party representation, it is a service sector for the people.
I swear, I don't have anything on my agenda like switching to such and such a party. I'll watch, I'll see. If it happens, it might be to serve better. But I realized that's not happening either, so I don't care at all. By the way, let me say this: On this day, if I wanted to, I could switch to both the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the AK Party. They said they had my file, they would examine it, and if I was deemed suitable, I would be accepted.
“NO ONE CAN SAY, ‘HE IS GOING TO THIS PARTY’”
I am speaking clearly, I do not have a file. I don't have a single file that has been given permission for an investigation and is in court. If there is a complaint against me because I am a public official, the Prosecutor's Office asks the Ministry of Interior for permission to investigate. If the Minister grants it, the investigation starts. The prosecutor creates the file. If it goes to court, that is another dimension. I do not exist in either dimension.
No one can say about me, ‘He is going to this party’. I can't see where my current situation will take me. There are 8 independent councillors with me. That leaves 37 councillors. If they don't let me breathe, if they make trouble for me, I will sit down and evaluate this math. After all, municipal affairs are managed by the council. Both in Keçiören and in the Metropolitan Assembly, the CHP had the majority.
I had no complaints about Mansur Mayor, this or that, because of our work.”
“IF HE HAD CALLED US, WE COULD HAVE TALKED FACE TO FACE”
When he said to me, ‘Mesut, he says this and that, it is being talked about on TV. It is rumored that you will resign,’ I replied, ‘My chairman, there is no such thing.’ Then he said, ‘Make a statement and reassure me. I said to him, ’If you are influenced by the rumors about my going to Murat Kurum, the messages sent by Turgut Altınok and Melih Gökçek and you are telling me such a thing, I would be very upset. If I make such a statement, won't we put Mr. Murat in a difficult situation?‘ Mr. Özgür softened and said, ’I still leave it to you.
I received abusive messages on the night between Saturday and Sunday. What would you expect me to do? There were many times when I didn't show up from Friday to Sunday. I don't understand why they didn't act like this then. I wish he had called me to him on Monday, we could have talked face to face, it wouldn't have come to this.