YENİ Parti protests arrest of its Manisa chair, calling it 'targeting'

Following the arrest of YENİ Parti Manisa Provincial Chair İlksen Özalper, party officials and members gathered in protest, denouncing the investigation as a targeted attack. Sercan Bozyaka, the YENİ Parti Manisa Provincial Secretary, addressed the crowd, stating that Özalper's detention has caused significant distress and backlash in the city. He noted that even strangers have reached out in support, with some becoming too emotional to speak.

Bozyaka criticized the handling of the investigation, highlighting the secrecy surrounding the case. "There is a confidentiality order on the file, so we cannot share the details of the file here today," he explained. "We are people who respect the law. If we speak with restraint, it is out of respect for the law. But there are those who are obligated to show the same respect but do not." He questioned the basis of the charges, noting that the specific action, time, and place are unclear, and no witnesses have been identified.

"In law, the crime is found first, then the person who committed it is sought," Bozyaka stated. "In this file, the opposite process occurred. They first chose the person who committed the crime according to themselves. Then they fabricated a crime for Chairman İlksen." He concluded that the process is not an investigation but rather "pointing fingers."

Bozyaka linked Özalper's arrest to the political landscape in Manisa following the March 31 local elections. He argued that the arrest targets the will of the people expressed at the ballot box, especially after the YENİ Parti secured a significant victory. "Those who did not like the decision made by the people in this city on March 31... realized they could not overturn the will expressed at the ballot box; they decided to arrest the will that emerged from the ballot box," he said.