Özgür Özel's sharp response to Bahçeli: 'If you say Atatürk is dead...'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel gave a speech at his party's candidate introduction meeting in Bursa.

Emphasizing that unemployment is rising in Bursa, that greenery and productivity are not being protected, and that women live in fear, Özgür Özel praised the social life in Nilüfer, which is governed by CHP's Bursa candidate Mustafa Bozbey, by saying, "I know how Nilüfer shines like a spoonmaker's diamond within Bursa."

The Chairman stated that "all of Bursa deserves the CHP," adding that he welcomes the poll results and that Bursa is waiting for the CHP.

Some highlights from Özel's speech are as follows:

"I know how people in cities and districts not governed by us miss it, and how they prefer cities governed by CHP municipalities by 85 percent when choosing universities for their children.

I know and see that if people go somewhere in the city on the weekend, they visit the districts governed by the CHP, they go for picnics there, and Bursa, all of Bursa, from İnegöl to Kestel, all of Bursa now deserves the CHP. Believe me, we are on the eve of a great victory in Bursa, we are counting the days.

I see the excitement in the streets of Bursa for that unfinished story to be completed, for this song not to be left unfinished here. Measurements are coming to me, I look at the polls and I am pleased. We are coming, we are winning. Bursa is waiting for us.

Every day, every minute that a person like Alinur Aktaş, who is in contradiction with the republic, who clashes with the values of the republic, and who is so full of hatred that he could speak ill of Uğur Mumcu after his death, or speak ill of an opinion leader like Türkan Saylan, and who has spider-web ideas in his mind, is in power in Bursa, is a pity for Bursa, and this is our shame. We will handle this business on March 31.

If you are casting aspersions on the August 30 victory, on October 29, on April 23, you have chosen your side. You are following those who rolled out the red carpet for the occupying fleet when it approached. I am the chairman of the party of the one who said, 'They will go as they came,' when he saw that fleet.

Today, the chairman of the party that did not even offer condolences for the Sinan Ateş murder, those who did not attend the funerals of their own children, have turned around and are criticizing the CHP.

I told my 81 provincial chairmen that those who saved the country from occupation 100 years ago, those who organized the founding of this country, are expecting you to save the country again 100 years later, to re-establish the Republic; Atatürk expects this from you.

Devlet Bahçeli has come out today and says, 'Is Özgür Bey's mental health in place? Atatürk is dead, has he summoned a spirit and met with Atatürk?'"

"TO THOSE WHO HARBOR HOSTILITY TOWARD ATATÜRK..."

Mr. Bahçeli, I do not know who is fed by spirits, or whose ideas change 180 degrees a day. I do not know what it means to curse today those you praised yesterday, to kiss the face you spat on yesterday, to call black today what you called white yesterday. I leave that to you and your mindset, but there is one thing you need to know. If you say Atatürk is dead, Atatürk died for you the day you became a crutch for those who harbor hostility toward Atatürk and those who said 'I wish the Greeks had won.'

Atatürk lives in our hearts, Mr. Bahçeli. Atatürk is the party of those who threw the 6th Fleet into the sea, of those who risked death every time to prevent this country from falling into enemy occupation, not of those who, like the ones you stand by, went to the airport when called and made shrouds out of curtain fabric over their coats, but of those whose grandfathers lie in Çanakkale without shrouds.

When it suited you, you became friends, when it suited you, you danced the halay together, and there were days you became fake enemies. The CHP is the people's party. The CHP is essentially the party of the six arrows. We will challenge anyone who dares to speak ill of the nationalism, populism, revolutionism, and patriotism of any member of the CHP.

When it suited you, you set up tent courts, you became friends, you set up tables. There were days you danced the halay together, there were days you became fake enemies. The CHP is at an equal distance to every party in Parliament. Know this, we will challenge anyone who dares to speak ill of the patriotism, republicanism, or nationalism of any member of the CHP.

Tayyip Bey keeps attacking me. I have committed a serious crime, and today I came to Bursa to commit that crime. Do you know what my crime is? That I am inciting the retirees. Now, let me incite the retirees in Bursa a little bit too.

"THE 25 THOUSAND TL THAT SHOULD BE GIVEN"

Türk-İş says the hunger threshold is 16 thousand 250 TL, and a very significant portion of retirees in this country have to make ends meet with the lowest pension of 10 thousand TL. Since that day, I have been explaining that this is an injustice, that it is impossible to give retirees 10 thousand TL, and that the salary that should be given to retirees is 25 thousand TL.

You mentioned the holiday bonus; we were the ones who said this in 2015. You said 'I cannot give it' on June 7, then I saw you lost the election and you said 'We will give it' on November 1. In 2018, they said 1 thousand TL, in 2020, 2 thousand TL, and now in this election, they said they would make it 5 thousand TL, but they increased it to 3 thousand TL.

When this bonus was first given, you could buy 24 kilos of ground meat for 1 thousand liras; now you can only buy 6 kilos of ground meat.

That bonus has stolen 18 kilos of ground meat from the retiree's table since 2018."

News Source: 12punto