Victory speech from CHP Chairman Özgür Özel: I am declaring a mobilization

The Republican People's Party (CHP) has left the first day of its historic convention behind.

The election for the party chairmanship was held on the first day of the convention, which began in Ankara under the slogan "Convention of Democracy and Unity in the Second Century." The candidate of the change movement, Özgür Özel, was elected as the new chairman of the Republican People's Party after receiving 812 votes. Today (November 5), the members of the Party Assembly and the High Disciplinary Board will be elected.

HE BECAME THE 8TH CHAIRMAN

Özgür Özel became the 8th Chairman of the CHP, the first political party of the Republic of Turkey, following Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, İsmet İnönü, Bülent Ecevit, Deniz Baykal, Hikmet Çetin, Altan Öymen, and Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

Özgür Özel delivered a victory speech after the results were announced. 

Özel made the following statements in his first remarks;

"I am experiencing the proudest moment of my life. We have held our party convention that will shape the 2nd century of our Republic. I thank you on behalf of all CHP members for fulfilling this honorable duty entrusted to you with merit. I thank Mr. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. I sincerely thank my mother, father, brother, wife, and daughter who raised me and stood by me during this process. I sincerely thank all the delegates and CHP members.

"I THANK YOU ALL"

I am aware of the responsibility placed on my shoulders. Sitting in the seat of İsmet Pasha, Atatürk, Deniz Baykal, Ecevit, and Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, and protecting their legacy, is from now on the duty of all of us, along with me. I trust you.

The CHP has a wonderful group consisting of 130 deputies. People asked who came here with the support of how many deputies. I am leaving this hall hand-in-hand and shoulder-to-shoulder with our 130 deputies. I am leaving this hall arm-in-arm and shoulder-to-shoulder with our 81 provincial chairs. The number of signatures was discussed a lot; if our chairman allows, I consider all 1366 of our delegates to have voted for me, and I thank them all.

A difficult process has been left behind; to turn despair into hope after a great sadness and trauma, to lift the heads of those looking at the ground, and to bring smiles to faces that were downcast... We believed in this, we believed in you, and you believed too, and you raised the hope. I promise on my own behalf that I will not let any resentment leave this hall during this difficult process.

"I WILL KEEP MY WORD"

If I have hurt anyone during the process, I ask for their forgiveness. Our group will continue to work in the Planning and Budget Committee starting Monday morning. We will all focus together on the very important local election process 5 months from now. I say to our 1.5 million members from here: We will declare a mobilization starting tomorrow to overcome the great sadness we experienced in the 100th year of the Republic. We will win back all the municipalities we currently hold and add new ones to them. And together, we will achieve a great victory. I trust you for this.

I would like to state that I will keep two promises. I will keep all the promises I made to the organization. I have scheduled a meeting for tomorrow morning with my 81 provincial chairs to evaluate the process. I invite them. We will immediately fulfill the promises we made regarding the primary elections and the improvements to be made to this party from now on. I did not talk about politics in Hatay; I will receive my certificate of election, and my first visit will be there, and I will always keep the earthquake region on the agenda. Then I will go to Osmaniye. From now on, we will experience great victories together. The victory here today does not belong to a candidate from the CHP, nor to a team. The winner of today's victory is all CHP members. The change in the CHP is only to complete the stage within ourselves. As the entire CHP, we are setting out for a local election victory. May our path be clear."

News Source: 12punto