CHP Central Executive Committee agenda: Attack on Özgür Özel; party officials react to Bahçeli: 'This mindset cannot bring peace to the country'

The Republican People's Party (CHP) Central Executive Committee (MYK) met today at 1:30 PM at party headquarters under the leadership of Chairman Özgür Özel.

One of the most notable items on the agenda was the attack on Özgür Özel following the memorial ceremony for the late Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Sırrı Süreyya Önder at the Istanbul Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM).

In their assessment to ANKA, CHP sources emphasized that the incident was not a coincidence and shared the following views:

"We believe this was a planned attack. In such incidents, useful tools are always created. There are always people with dark pasts involved, and such events always occur at turning points for the country. It was significant that our Chairman supports the peace process while simultaneously maintaining very sharp red lines. The fact that he is receiving attention and finding a response on the streets is also important. Someone is trying to set a game again."

REACTION TO BAHÇELİ: THIS MINDSET CANNOT BRING PEACE TO THE COUNTRY

Following the attack, AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called Özgür Özel to convey his well wishes. MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli made a statement via social media. CHP officials shared the following remarks regarding these messages:

"Erdoğan's phone call after the incident was important, but it was extremely interesting that Devlet Bahçeli insistently referred to him as an 'official' rather than 'Chairman.' This mindset cannot bring peace to this country. At most, it wants to make Erdoğan a presidential candidate again. If he were concerned about peace and tranquility, he wouldn't have made that post. He is still using a divisive tone. As long as this language continues, some people in society see it as their duty. The fact that he continues this—while saying 'peace' on one hand and refusing to even name the country's largest political party on the other, especially given that Bahçeli recently called Öcalan a 'founding leader'—is telling. There is also the effect of the CHP's rising poll numbers and success. It is a plan to create a perception."

"KURDISH VOTERS ARE AWARE OF THE CHP'S SINCERITY"

CHP sources claimed that the distance between Kurdish voters and the MHP has increased and that the trust deficit has deepened. Based on observations made in the field, they shared the following views:

"They could not find a response among Kurdish voters. Yes, Abdullah Öcalan's influence is very high, but when we travel in the field, we see it; there is a trust issue, and Kurdish voters have concerns about the process. Therefore, they also saw that they could not get the votes of Kurdish voters. We see those voters at our own rallies. When the process began, there was an interesting demand for the CHP to be involved in this process. The CHP took on a role like an insurance policy. Kurdish voters are aware of the CHP's sincerity on this issue. They are aware that our intention is not really to make someone a presidential candidate, but that this is a democratization problem that needs to be resolved. This is the reason for the MHP's discomfort. They are both losing their own base and failing to achieve what they want from the other side."

News Source: 12punto