Özdağ Arrested on Charges of Inciting Violence

Özdağ was detained by police on Jan. 20 as part of an investigation into allegations that he insulted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a speech he delivered a day earlier.

The chief public prosecutor’s office in Istanbul, however, released Özdağ from custody on charges of insulting the president but subsequently ordered his arrest on charges of “inciting hatred and hostility among the public."

Özdağ, a 63-year-old former academic, is an outspoken critic of Türkiye's refugee policies. The politician was taken to Silivri prison on the outskirts of Istanbul.

The arrest drew swift condemnation from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel.

"Justice has been murdered once again by a mobile guillotine,” Özel said on X, adding that using years-old social media posts as evidence reflects the erosion of judicial independence.

"Arresting your political opponent is the job of the helpless," he added, vowing to challenge what he called an "unlawful regime." 

CHP's Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu also denounced the arrest on X. “Everyone knows that this is political interference in the judiciary,” he wrote. “Those responsible for these practices will ultimately bow to the will of the people.”

The arrest also prompted a show of solidarity from İYİ (Good) Party leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu, who visited Istanbul courthouse to support Özdağ during protests. “Let everyone know that nationalists... will no longer compete but unite,” Dervişoğlu told reporters.

Source: HDN