CHP Leader Özel: Bahçeli shaking hands with DEM will lower tension

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel visited the Bakırköy Municipality. Özel was welcomed by Bakırköy Mayor Ayşegül Ovalıoğlu and her accompanying delegation. Afterward, Özel toured the new municipal building with his delegation. Following the visit, Özel answered questions from journalists.

"IT WILL LOWER TENSION IN TURKEY"

Regarding the question about MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli shaking hands with DEM Party members, Özel said, "Rather than whether a new era has begun in politics, one must see this: What we call normalization is not about making a deal with Erdoğan or Bahçeli. We are in no position to make a deal with those who have brought this country to this state for 22 years. We will replace this government in the first election.

Normalization is showing minimum respect to those elected by the nation for the sake of the nation, and avoiding artificial agendas so that real problems can be discussed. While the Republican People's Party is the only party that celebrates holidays with all parties, and CHP leader Özgür Özel is the only leader who can shake hands with all leaders, there was a differentiation on this issue last October 1st. I am very pleased with this.

Mr. Bahçeli shaking hands with DEM will lower tension in Turkey and reduce polarization. Polarization always harms dictators, strongmen, social democrats, and broad segments of the public. Where the word is powerful, there should be no polarization. We know the nation's problems; we want to explain how we will address them and we want people's ears to hear this.

We know that when this nation hears us, it will choose us and that Turkey will achieve much more important things in a very short time. The more polarization drops, the more voices are heard, and the more content gains importance, the more significant it is. Just because Bahçeli shook their hands does not mean we will sit down with Bahçeli or Erdoğan to draft a constitution or anything else. We do not discuss the constitution with those who do not abide by the constitution. We will not form a coalition with anyone, but we will grow the Turkey alliance. We will make Atatürk's party the government again in the second century of the Republic," he said.

"I EXPECT A PRESENTATION AND BRIEFING BEFITTING STATE SERIOUSNESS"

Speaking about the extraordinary session of Parliament on October 8, Özel said, "If the President of a country takes the podium in parliament and tells us that Israel will attack soon and that Anatolian lands are among their targets, he must immediately share all the grounds, evidence, and intelligence in that parliament. He will not be able to do this in an open session. We said let there be a closed session and give us information. I find the fact that the parliament is gathering here positive, but Mr. Erdoğan needs to come to that session.

If he sends 2 ministers to provide information, it is a lesson in the seriousness of the matter. Let all relevant ministers provide information, but Erdoğan should come out and explain everything there. If this is done just to go through the motions, I will express this to the nation. If they are inflating such a security issue artificially, thinking that if a security issue—a problem we don't know about—comes to the forefront, then the issues currently at the top of the list—poverty, unemployment, hunger, insecurity, and dissatisfaction with the situation in schools—will recede, I will complain about this to the nation as well.

I expect a presentation and briefing befitting state seriousness. If they act unseriously, of course, the minutes of the closed session will remain secret for 10 years, but if I am not satisfied on behalf of my nation with the content, I will share it with my nation. This issue is an attempt to re-fortify lost political reputation through security concerns by blowing it up as an artificial agenda. If anyone attempts to do this, I will expose it. If there are real security problems that we do not know about but they do, we will do whatever falls to us in this regard, but we will still not take a step back from talking about the essential issues of this nation," he stated.

News Source: İHA