What will you do; are you going to shoot Özgür Özel too?!

The CHP's decision not to go to the feet of the terrorist leader in İmralı has made everyone quite anxious. Leaving the government aside, we summarized yesterday why they care so much about the CHP meeting with the terrorist leader, even though it is the "state" that is directly dealing with him, both in previous peace processes and now; they want the founding will of the Republic of Turkey to sit at the table with the "founding leader" of MHP leader Bahçeli.

We said they were "anxious." No, they have officially gone mad.

We are talking about the ongoing attacks on the CHP by the DEM party members—the political extension of the PKK, which claims to bring democracy and law not only to Turkey but to the entire region, and who act as the postmen for İmralı—as well as some pro-government columnists.

Holding Atatürk Responsible

Stating that they have noted the CHP's decision, Tuncer Bakırhan, one of the co-chairs of the DEM party, who asked the CHP to abandon its principles by saying, "Peace is a historical responsibility above all parties and principles," did not stop at attributing the so-called "Kurdish issue" to Atatürk, but also called on the CHP not to take its base into account.

Here are those delusions:

- "The CHP is the founding party of the Republic; it is a party that has responsibility for a century-old issue. I think it should also play a role in its resolution."

- "We have high expectations from the CHP; it is a party with the goal of governing. A party with the goal of governing must be brave and take risks if necessary in the resolution of Turkey's most fundamental issue. Who can conduct politics by hiding behind the sensitivities of their base?... The task of politics is to be brave and to put forward a framework and a perspective to include its base in these issues."

Let the CHP take responsibility for the so-called "Kurdish issue"... Let it abandon its principles for this... Let it not listen to its base... How wonderful!.. While they are at it, let it join the DEM party or dissolve itself!..

As for Bakırhan comparing the meeting with the terrorist leader to meeting with Nelson Mandela, as well as Alija Izetbegović, the first President of Bosnia and Herzegovina, let us first present this to the appreciation of those in the AKP and MHP who view Izetbegović as a "person of cause and ideas, a wise king."

These are the latest statements from the other co-chair of the DEM party, Tülay Hatimoğulları, regarding the CHP:

"What we wished for was for this commission to take this decision unanimously, but it did not happen. The CHP chose not to go... We care very much about the CHP going. We said this in every meeting and everywhere. We see their not going as a deficiency. We hope that the commission has not yet gone to the island, and that they will change their minds... Öcalan also said this, and we have expressed it in all our television programs and speeches. The CHP must absolutely and definitely be part of this process."

Qandil Threat

While wondering how they would convince the CHP to go to the feet of the terrorist leader with such insolent demands and such persistence, a voice also came from one of the terrorist leaders in Qandil, Murat Karayılan.

The PKK had supposedly dissolved itself, but Karayılan, whom our media still calls a "PKK executive," emphasized that the meeting in İmralı was mandatory and then commanded the following:

"In my opinion, the CHP made a mistake. This stance of the CHP will backfire on it. With this stance, it has wasted the image it has displayed in recent years. It has rhetoric saying 'we are in favor of a solution,' but in this important process, going to İmralı for a solution is very critical. The CHP had the claim of making itself the party of all of Turkey, including the Kurds; however, this approach is the exact opposite of that. If they do not correct it, they will be the ones to suffer."

He then invited the CHP management to "turn back from this mistake" and "play an active role in the solution process that is in Turkey's interest."

Look at this language of threat. If the CHP does not turn back from that decision which you consider "wrong," what will happen? Like thousands of our people, are you going to shoot Özgür Özel too?

If they say, "That is not what we meant, we are warning that if it does not support the solution, it will lose its base"; on the contrary, it is obvious that it would meet that fate if it sat at the İmralı-PKK table.

Let us also read some pro-government columnists who are beating the DEM drum.

One of them, just like Tuncer Bakırhan, claimed that "the reason for the Kurdish issue is the CHP" and accused it, saying, "This time, it has become an obstacle to the resolution of the terror issue. In other words, the CHP has fulfilled its historical duty"...

Another, again like Bakırhan, stated that "the policy of maintaining the status quo by taking into account the criticisms existing in some social segments points to a crossroads for the CHP," and reacted to it "not taking an opening position on sensitive issues of politics due to the pressure of its own base"...

Another, after criticizing the CHP, asked, "Let's call it the terror issue, the Kurdish issue, or the PKK issue... The Southeast issue... The issue of underdevelopment. Whatever its name is... There is an issue... A 100-year-old issue. Who will solve it?"

They haven't even been able to name the issue they claim exists... And whatever name is given, each of them would have a different "prescription"... But there is only one "prescription" they have memorized; "They must go to İmralı"!..

Let us say, "I hope the nation, with this determination and resolve, will also ensure that the CHP withdraws from that commission, which does not even have a legal basis, and clings tightly to its founding principles," and look at why this trip to İmralı is "necessary."

MIT Chief: "Necessary"... Terrorist Leader: "A Condition"

As is known, the MIT has been the one dealing with İmralı in previous peace processes and now. Chief İbrahim Kalın also provided information to the PKK commission in the Turkish Grand National Assembly twice.

While the Turkish nation does not know what he explained because the session was held in secret, the DEM members and presumably Qandil know.

For some reason, it was not dwelled upon; but recently, thanks to the words of CHP member Sezgin Tanrıkulu from the minutes of the November 18 meeting, it was revealed that Kalın said it was "necessary" to visit İmralı.

I wonder why it is "necessary"?!

What about what DEM co-chair Tülay Hatimoğulları said; "İmralı needed to be heard, it was put forward as a condition. Öcalan's own organization also put it forward as a condition, and this issue has come to this day. Actually, they should have gone months ago. The commission took a decision and now it is going," she said.

Let us hope that the "condition" of the terrorist leader and Qandil has not been presented to the commission as a "necessity"!..

Müyesser YILDIZ

November 25, 2025