Umit Ozdag, leader of Turkey's Victory Party, has been ordered to remain in custody pending trial due to accusations of inciting public hatred, especially through social media. Following his prior release, the courts cited his involvement in anti-Syrian refugee riots and inflammatory statements about President Erdogan as reasons for detention. Ozdag claims that his arrest symbolizes suppression of opposition to governmental policies. Prominent political figures, including CHP leader Ozgur Ozel and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, criticize this action as a grave threat to democracy and judicial independence in Turkey.
In a post on X, Ozdag said arresting him means arresting the people he represents and those who are opposing the latest developments in the country.
The prosecutor's office also held Ozdag responsible for riots against Syrian refugees last year in the central Turkish province of Kayseri, during which hundreds of homes and businesses were attacked.
Ozgur Ozel, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), protested against the arrest, saying the decision was a murder of justice, a destruction of both democracy and judicial independence.
Ozdag, a 63-year-old former academic, is an outspoken critic of Turkiye's refugee policies and has called for the repatriation of millions of Syrian refugees.
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