In a sweeping tour of Turkey’s Black Sea region, Özgür Özel, the Chairman of the YENİ Party, delivered a series of high-stakes addresses on Thursday, October 3, 2026, transitioning from humanitarian inspections in flood-hit Rize to a fiery political rally in Artvin. Throughout his engagements, Özel balanced the role of a compassionate leader with that of a fierce opposition challenger, pledging that his party would never again succumb to the habit of defeat. His rhetoric centered on a vision of a "New Turkey" while launching scathing critiques of the current administration’s economic policies and what he described as a total collapse of state ethics following the controversial leak of private footage during police raids in Mersin.
The Chairman’s day began at the Rize-Artvin Airport, where he was greeted by a large and enthusiastic delegation of party members and local supporters. The visit held significant symbolic weight, as the Black Sea region has long been a traditional political battleground. Özel’s first stop was the Pazar district of Rize, which had been severely impacted by devastating floods and landslides on September 19. Walking through the debris and the partially restored infrastructure of 10 Mart Street, Özel took the time to visit local shopkeepers and residents whose lives had been upended by the natural disaster.
During these interactions, the Chairman listened to grievances regarding the speed of the state’s recovery efforts and the mounting financial burden on small business owners. Offering his condolences to the community, Özel emphasized that the struggles of the Black Sea people would not be forgotten in the halls of Parliament. He framed the recovery not just as a matter of infrastructure, but as a matter of justice for citizens who contribute to the nation’s economy through their labor and resilience.
A New Vision for Artvin and the Republic
From the rain-slicked streets of Pazar, Özel traveled to Artvin, where he addressed a massive crowd at the Milli İrade (National Will) Square. The atmosphere was charged with the momentum of the party’s recent electoral successes. Opening his speech with a reflection on the party’s historical trajectory, Özel reminded the audience that the political landscape of Turkey had fundamentally shifted.
"YENİ Party is the new party of Turkey," Özel declared to the cheering crowd. "It is the new party of the Black Sea. It is the party for Artvin, for Kemalists, for nationalists, for republicans, and for everyone who loves their homeland, their nation, their flag, and their ancestors. I invite all citizens of Artvin, regardless of their past political affiliations, to join this new march—the march to power. We welcome those who stand for the unity and integrity of this country, those who value the sweat of the brow, those who respect our retirees, and those who are anxious about the future of our youth."
Özel’s speech leaned heavily on the party’s performance in recent local elections, which he cited as a turning point in Turkish history. He noted that after 47 years, the party had finally emerged as the leading political force in the country, dealing a significant blow to the long-standing dominance of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party). He pointed out that several provinces were won by the YENİ Party for the first time in the history of the Republic.
"In the past, I gave you a word, and I kept that first promise," Özel said, referring to the electoral breakthroughs. "Now, let this be my next promise to you: we will never get used to defeat. We will not lose. We will win, and in doing so, the Republic will win."
The ‘State Crisis’ and the Stock Market Scandal
As the rally progressed, the Chairman shifted his focus to the national economy, specifically targeting what has become known as the "fund investigation" or the stock market scandal. Özel characterized the current financial climate not merely as a period of economic hardship, but as a fundamental "state crisis" (devlet krizi). He alleged that the government had allowed a "Ponzi scheme" (saadet zinciri) to flourish, leading to the systematic dispossession of small investors.
Özel provided a detailed breakdown of the demographics affected by the recent volatility in the Turkish stock market. He noted that of the 7 million accounts currently active, approximately 3.5 million belong to individuals with holdings of 10,000 Turkish Liras or less. These, he argued, are not wealthy financiers, but ordinary citizens—people struggling to pay their rent or credit card bills—who turned to the stock market in a desperate attempt to protect their meager savings from inflation.
"They preyed on the money that the citizen entrusted to the state," Özel charged. "Between 2021 and 2025, during a closed period, those who saw returns of 1 to 1,000 opened the doors to the public. People entered the market because they saw a Minister there, or an AK Party executive there. They trusted the institutions. And what happened? These figures heartlessly dumped their expensive funds and shares onto the backs of the citizens and vanished within three days."
The Chairman alleged that 455,000 individual investors were specifically targeted and that, in total, nearly 2 million people were defrauded in what he termed "the robbery of the century." He accused the government of failing to implement any protective measures despite prior warnings, suggesting that the silence of the administration was a sign of complicity. "If we do not speak out, no one will," he said. "This is not just a financial crisis; it is a collapse of the state’s duty to protect its people."
Condemnation of Ethical Breaches in Mersin
The most animated and aggressive portion of Özel’s speech came when he addressed recent police operations in Mersin. On Thursday morning, authorities conducted raids on the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality as well as the Yenişehir and Mezitli district municipalities. While the official reason for the raids was linked to ongoing investigations, Özel focused on the conduct of the officers and the subsequent leaking of footage to the media.
He described a specific incident involving the wife of a municipal official. According to Özel, police arrived at the residence at 5:00 AM. The woman, startled from sleep, opened the door in her nightwear to find male officers and a camera crew. Despite her pleas for the camera to be turned off, the officers allegedly continued filming, assuring her it was merely for "official police records."
"Two hours after that footage was taken, images of that lady in her nightwear, in the privacy of her home, were serviced to every internet site in the country," Özel shouted, his voice thick with indignation. "On one hand, you run campaigns with slogans like ‘My Family is Safe,’ claiming you are the protectors of family values. On the other hand, you record innocent people in their most private moments and leak those images through your sharlatans in the Ministry of Justice or the Ministry of Interior."
Özel’s criticism was directed squarely at President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the leadership of the Justice Ministry. He accused the government of using these raids and the subsequent character assassinations as a "smoke screen" to distract the public from the stock market scandal and the economic "state crisis."
"I am calling out to Erdoğan," Özel said. "There is a charlatan in the Ministry of Justice who unofficially directs the media on how to write stories, who sends out false photographs and videos, and who plays with the honor and modesty of innocent people’s spouses. Either you stop this charlatan, or we will. Do not think for a moment that this country is unprotected. If necessary, I will take matters into my own hands to stop this assault on our citizens’ dignity."
A Call to Resilience
As the rally in Artvin concluded, Özel reiterated his commitment to a "new path" for Turkey. He framed the upcoming political cycle as a struggle for the soul of the Republic, pitting the YENİ Party’s vision of transparency and social justice against what he described as the "decay" of the current administration.
The Chairman’s visit to the Black Sea served as a dual-purpose mission: to provide a visible presence in a region suffering from natural disasters and to consolidate the party’s gains in a former government stronghold. By linking local grievances in Rize to national scandals in the financial markets and ethical controversies in Mersin, Özel sought to build a narrative of a government that has lost touch with both the economic realities and the moral values of the Turkish people.
The crowd in Artvin remained long after the speech ended, echoing the Chairman’s final sentiment that the "Republic would win." With the political climate in Turkey growing increasingly polarized, Özel’s words in the Black Sea suggest that the YENİ Party is preparing for a period of intense confrontation, fueled by a refusal to accept the status quo and a promise to maintain the momentum of their recent electoral victories.
