Öztürk Yılmaz: The Special Operations officer assigned to protect me lined up to pray behind Islamic State

Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy General Chair Öztürk Yılmaz has responded most forcefully to the campaign by Erdoğan, ministers and the pro-regime media to denigrate him. In a forceful reply to comments made on A Haber by Special Operations police officer Abdülsettar Yaşar, who had been at the consulate at the time of the raid staged on the Mosul Consulate in 2014, Yılmaz spoke of how he had informed officials of Yaşar’s collaboration with Islamic State but this individual was nevertheless protected.
 
From a report carried by tomplumsal.com.tr, Yılmaz, stressing that he was being subjected to a barrage of lies, said, “Had I entered politics for the AKP you would have put up my statue.” Yılmaz, stating that certain consular staff members lined up to pray behind Islamic State during the 101 days in captivity, commented, “I am now looking for something else behind this business. This business leads somewhere else.” Yılmaz also indicated that it was not the intelligence agency that facilitated his being handed over to Turkey along with the consular staff. Yılmaz said, “Let those in the AKP explain who brought us. If they talk, so will I.”
 
THAT SLANDERER WAS CLOSE TO ISLAMIC STATE
 
“That person is an individual who knows Arabic and came to the Mosul Consulate just before it was raided. This was a character I was suspicious of; a character who was conceptually close to Islamic State. Look, he suddenly came out and said, ‘I speak Arabic’ during the Mosul raid. He would try to get me to sign Islamic State’s documents but I refused. I said that he was ideologically close to Islamic State on my return. I told them to take action over this. And, do you know, Fatih, like the brazen thief who accuses his victim, never mind sacking him, they promoted this person.”
 
YOU WILL EITHER KILL ME OR I’LL PIN THE BLAME ON YOU
 
“They gave an instruction from the Interior Ministry and, even though I told them to shoot back, the instruction came, ‘No, most certainly do not engage.’ I was battling with ridicule. If you don’t think about the country’s esteem, I won’t at all. You will either kill me or I’ll pin the blame on you.”
 
HE LINED UP TO PRAY BEHIND ISLAMIC STATE PEOPLE
 
“The Special Operations officer assigned to protect me lined up to pray behind Islamic State people. I have my suspicions about that man. He is on such good terms with Islamic State - what lies behind this intimacy? These scoundrels are now casting aspersions. Whoever is getting him to speak is collaborating with him. They must be put on trial immediately.”
 
HAD I ENTERED POLITICS FOR THE AKP THEY WOULD HAVE PUT UP MY STATUE
 
“Don’t belittle me that much. Had I been an AKP MP, you would now have put up monuments to me. I know what you are afraid of. But this will come to naught.”
 
LET THE AKP EXPLAIN WHO BROUGHT US TO TURKEY!
 
“Let’s see one of those politicians come forward! Let’s see them say who brought us. Come on, let’s see somebody come out and speak. Who brought us to Turkey? Let one of them come out in front of me and I will tell this to the entire public. I am issuing a challenge. Let them come out face to face with me and account for it! How it happened and what happened and where the FETOists fit in. I will spell it out item by item.”
 
WHAT HAPPENED?
 
Following Öztürk Yılmaz’s warnings about the Free Syrian Army that has entered Afrin along with the Turkish Armed Forces, AKP President Erdoğan singled out the CHP parliamentarian for harsh treatment, saying, “Buster, you with no scruples, while you are lying in your warm bed the Free Syrian Army are destroying terrorists along with my little Mehmets.”
 
Following Erdoğan, cabinet members and the pro-regime media launched a systematic attack and made harsh accusations about Öztürk Yılmaz, who was captured by Islamic State in 2014.