Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan announced his resignation decision on his social media account. In his announcement, Özarslan stated the following: "Dear Fellow Citizens,
In the local elections held on March 31, 2024, the people of Keçiören showed their support and deemed my person worthy of the Mayoralty with a large share of votes. This countenance of the people of Keçiören has honored me.n the local elections held on March 31, 2024, the people of Keçiören showed their support and deemed my person worthy of the Mayoralty with a large share of votes. This countenance of the people of Keçiören has honored me. As I explained at the inauguration ceremony, from day one I removed my party badge and began providing transparent and equal service to all of Keçiören. In this context, I made an effort to bring services to Keçiören by knocking on every door, regardless of party affiliation.
Recently, following the increase in my visits to address major investments and problems in Keçiören and my transparent public announcement of these visits on social media, a systematic slander and perception-manipulation campaign has been launched by certain cliques and factions within the CHP.ecently, following the increase in my visits to address major investments and problems in Keçiören and my transparent public announcement of these visits on social media, a systematic slander and perception-manipulation campaign has been launched by certain cliques and factions within the CHP. Those who are distant from the national and spiritual values that I represent and those who want to instrumentalize these values in their internal party calculations have attempted to mislead the public with unrealistic speculations and discredit my person within the party. But; The slanders and speculations regarding me have been disregarded by me in accordance with the principle that "Service to the People is Service to God," and on January 6, 2026, T.Thhe slanders and speculations regarding me have been disregarded by me in accordance with the principle that "Service to the People is Service to God," and on January 6, 2026, T.C. A meeting was held with Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Mr. Murat Kurum, to discuss the solutions to the problems of our Keçiören district.
Following this visit, certain factions within the CHP increased the intensity of these rumors and perceptions.ollowing this visit, certain factions within the CHP increased the intensity of these rumors and perceptions. However, it remains incomprehensible to me that a Mayor should seek to achieve any ulterior motive by visiting the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, who has won the hearts of our people through his effective and rapid ollowing this visit, certain factions within the CHP increased the intensity of these rumors and perceptions. However, it remains incomprehensible to me that a Mayor should seek to achieve any ulterior motive by visiting the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, who has won the hearts of our people through his effective and rapid services, especially in the earthquake zone, and by visiting the minister to provide services to his district. Additionally, although our relationship with the Honorable Minister was a long-standing friendship based on school and work camaraderie; following this visit, the number of these factions increased and their pressure on me intensified. Despite maintaining my silence and continuing my services in the face of pressure, gossip, and slander, WhatsApp messages targeting me began to be sent by CHP Chairman Sayın Özgür Özel at 23:59 on February 7, 2025.espite maintaining my silence and continuing my services in the face of pressure, gossip, and slander, WhatsApp messages targeting me began to be sent by CHP Chairman Sayın Özgür Özel at 23:59 on February 7, 2025. These messages contain insults, threats, and slanders that are incompatible with political decency, party ethics, public responsibility, and humanity.
I'm asking: Would a party leader swear at a mayor? Would a party leader insult someone based on their family values? Would a party leader threaten with unprintable wordsng: Would a party leader swear at a mayor? Would a party leader insult someone based on their family values? Would a party leader threaten with unprintable words? In the face of messages that specifically tarnish my family values and even involve my mother and late father, who are my sacred beings; while my respect and love for the voters of the Republican People's Party remain unchanged, it is now impossible for me to serve within the ranks of the Republican People's Party. Although my only priority is to serve Keçiören, I have come to the conclusion that it is impossible for me to perform my duties in a healthy way by focusing my energy and shift on the problems of my district on a ground where the style and understanding contained in the messages prevail.Although my only priority is to serve Keçiören, I have come to the conclusion that it is impossible for me to perform my duties in a healthy way by focusing my energy and shift on the problems of my district on a ground where the style and understanding contained in the messages prevail.
My reaction is not to the institutional identity of the Republican People's Party, to the Ataturkist and Republican voters, but to the current understanding of governance, which has lost political courtesy and state seriousness.
In this context, I am resigning my membership in the Republican People's Party.
Regardless of everything, I would like to thank my fellow mayors from Ankara, especially Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mr. Mansur Yavaş, with whom I have walked this path together, for their efforts.ardless of everything, I would like to thank my fellow mayors from Ankara, especially Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mr. Mansur Yavaş, with whom I have walked this path together, for their efforts. I believe that service-oriented politics should not be sacrificed to internal party tensions and hurtful rhetoric; I state that where such a style of governance exists, the political ground should be reevaluated by everyone.
I also want to note that I would like to thank the other Mayors from Ankara, especially Mr. Mansur Yavaş, with whom I walked, and I want halal from my friends the mayor, thinking that the cliques that are in the CHP and caused this process to come here will also attract me to other places to say “thank you”.
However; as his siblings, friends, and colleagues, I would like to make a reminder; we had united in destiny to walk the path "in the way of Allah, with the aim of serving the nation, while preserving the unity and integrity of the homeland." However; at the current juncture; unfortunately, the CHP Chairman, Mr.owever; as his siblings, friends, and colleagues, I would like to make a reminder; we had united in destiny to walk the path "in the way of Allah, with the aim of serving the nation, while preserving the unity and integrity of the homeland." However; at the current juncture; unfortunately, the CHP Chairman, Mr. In Özgür Özel and his close colleagues, there is nothing left of the Path of God, the homeland, the family, or the values we hold sacred; all sanctities have been destroyed. I appeal to the consciences of my friends with whom I set out on this path and walked it together: "The cause is the cause of humanity"; I invite them to distance themselves from this structure that has strayed from its founding principles, is governed in an immoral manner, and to not be complicit in the immorality perpetrated against me while showing their reaction. What has been done to me and my family today should not be forgotten; if no reaction is shown, one day it will be done to them as wellem to distance themselves from this structure that has strayed from its founding principles, is governed in an immoral manner, and to not be complicit in the immorality perpetrated against me while