Erdoğan-Özel meeting concludes: What happened?

President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and CHP Chairman Özgür Özel met at the AKP Headquarters. The leaders' meeting lasted 1 hour and 35 minutes. Özel left the area without making any statement following the meeting. 

HOW WAS THE MEETING DECIDED?

Following the CHP's emergence as the leading party in the March 31 Local Administration General Elections, it was stated that communication channels in politics would be kept open. The first move came when Özel called Erdoğan during the holiday period. 

Özel, who made a courtesy call to Erdoğan, requested an appointment and stated that he wanted to discuss national issues. Subsequently, the two leaders met for the first time at the April 23 reception in Parliament upon Erdoğan's invitation for tea, where they decided on the date of the meeting. While there were debates regarding the venue of the meeting—"Will it be at the Palace or the Çankaya Mansion?"—the invitation from Erdoğan to Özel came for the AKP Headquarters. Thus, Erdoğan met with a CHP Chairman for the first time in 8 years.

ÖZEL ARRIVED WITH GIFTS

Intensive security measures were taken around the AKP Headquarters before CHP leader Özel arrived. An area was opened in the garden for members of the press waiting for the meeting. Tea and coffee were served to reporters following the meeting from the press room inside the headquarters. Many journalists who came to the headquarters also took souvenir photos for this historic day. CHP leader Özel arrived at the headquarters at 16:00 with CHP Istanbul Deputy Namık Tan. Özel, who arrived at the meeting with a bag and two packages, was welcomed by AKP Deputy Chairman Mustafa Elitaş. After shaking hands, the two entered the headquarters. Elitaş and Tan also accompanied the two leaders during the meeting. It was noted that a seat next to Erdoğan in the meeting room was left empty. The leaders did not make any statement after the meeting, which lasted over an hour and a half. CHP leader Özel thanked the reporters following the meeting and left the headquarters. The leaders' agenda included topics such as debates on a new constitution, the judicial crisis, economic difficulties, Gezi prisoners, the ban on workers entering Taksim on May 1, and increasing polarization in politics.

HE WILL MEET WITH DEM TOMORROW

Having met with Erdoğan, Özel will also meet tomorrow at his party's headquarters with a delegation consisting of DEM Party Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, and Co-Deputy Chair responsible for the Commission for Relations with NGOs and Political Parties, Özlem Gündüz. It is stated that the topic of new constitution debates will be on the agenda.

News Source: 12punto