CHP leader Özel makes striking election statement: 'We are on the path to elections, are you ready to go door-to-door?'

CHP leader Özgür Özel attended the "Standing Up for the National Will" rally held in Denizli and the opening of the Merkezefendi Municipality Atatürk Science Center.

Speaking at the program, Merkezefendi Mayor Şeniz Doğan stated that mayors should make 20-year plans for their cities, not just daily or weekly ones, and should be visionary, adding, "Today, we are not just opening a building here, but a beautiful door that opens the future to the sky and to enlightenment. When we took office, we made a promise to you. We said that no one in this city would go to bed hungry, and no one in this city would feel abandoned. If we stand before you today with our heads held high, it is thanks to the support you have given. I am glad you are here. We set out on this journey saying 'people first.' We could not remain indifferent while the country was in turmoil. We gave meaning to social municipalism in Denizli. We brought our children together with 'Hak Süt' (Right Milk). We opened 'Halk Et' (People's Meat) together with you. We said this was not enough, and we opened our markets. Finally, we opened our dairy farm. We produce our own meat, milk, and cheese. We established a bakery in Denizli together with you. We are bringing 'Halk Ekmek' (People's Bread) to you in every corner of Denizli. We have established our women and children's life centers in 25 of our 50 neighborhoods. We said women should be involved in production. Our women's cooperatives are selling to famous brands. I promise we will develop the cooperative business even further. We opened our 3 nurseries. We increased the number of our green spaces fivefold. These are not enough; we will continue with our new term projects. We will rebuild the fish market. But today has a different meaning. Mayors must have a vision. Mayors should plan the 20 years of their city, not just the day, week, or month. This place is the embodiment of that dream, that vision. May it be auspicious for our city. This place will be the shining star not only of Denizli but of the Aegean. We will have our planetarium, children will feel different stories. We will try to solve the climate crisis in our city here. We will teach our children how to fight against earthquakes here. We will keep the name of Atatürk, who said 'The truest guide is science' and 'My hope is the youth,' alive in this science center," she said.

Stating that they are trying to build a city where every segment of society is together, Denizli Metropolitan Mayor Bülent Nuri Çavuşoğlu said, "I believe that we will protect the resources of this city all together. I walked this path together. Being a servant to this city with my 15 mayors is the greatest honor for us. We commemorate with thousands of thanks, primarily Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms, who paved the way for us to live together as brothers under this beautiful flag and this beautiful call to prayer today, thanks to those who went smilingly into the line of fire and shielded their lives on a journey they set out on with a tiny ship, not those who say 'I' but those who say 'We.' We will create a city together where the people of this city are not divided, but are happy together with their different colors. Because when I look at the people of this city, I promise that I will continue to be a servant to everyone and every segment, seeing their different colors as a single color," he said.

''THERE ARE THOSE WHO OBJECT IN THIS SQUARE''

CHP leader Özgür Özel, who gave his speech on the party bus instead of the stage due to the rain, said, "There is an incredible rain in Denizli. They said, 'No one will come, people will stand under the eaves. That square won't fill up, this rally will flop today.' They said, 'There is a stage, and a very large square in front of it.' I said, 'If there is rain, there is no stage. The people should not be in the rain while the leader is in the dry.' I said, 'Pull the bus over, I will go there, and that square will fill up. The rain will pour, and that square will be packed.' Well done to those who filled this square with the spirit of Saraçhane, the spirit of struggle, and the spirit of action; greetings to you. Greetings to my dear Denizli, my beautiful Denizli, my brave Denizli. There are those who object in this square today. There are those who object to all kinds of injustice, heartlessness, and inequality. The objection to the imprisonment of our presidential candidate is in this square, and the worker suffering from the minimum wage not being enough to support a household is in this square. The retiree condemned to two-thirds of the hunger threshold is in this square, and the farmer who was producing white gold (cotton) but is now in a debt trap is in this square. The shopkeeper without a sale is in this square. We came to Denizli to object, to struggle, to resist, and to take action. I had said, 'Young people who have lost hope, who have packed their suitcases in their minds and said, 'If there is an opportunity, I will go abroad and live in another country,' had decided to wait for one more election on the evening of March 31.' Now those young people; perhaps poor, having housing problems, dealing with all kinds of difficulties, but with hope alive, are here. Greetings to you all, young and old, retirees, workers, villagers, and shopkeepers," he said.

Touching upon the services of the Metropolitan Municipality, Özel said, "I am calling out to all of Turkey from here. 'How will the CHP govern?' By God, just as we govern Denizli; with reason, with ideas, diligently, with conscience, and by understanding the situation; that is how we will govern Turkey. While talking about what we have done, I will make an exception here today. The exception is this. Normally, when we go to a rally or an action, we do not hold an opening. But such an offer came that they said, 'Mr. Chairman, the thing you are most angry about is those who have a problem with Atatürk's name. They even closed Atatürk Airport by hook or by crook. They named it Istanbul. They close so many facilities in Turkey and then open them by giving them another name. Whereas, in the square where you will give your speech in Denizli, the largest science center in the Aegean will be opened. There is a science center that will broaden the horizons of children, educate them, and show and endear them to these through simulations regarding the universe, galaxy, stars, space science, and aviation in order to walk towards the goal shown by Atatürk. They said, 'We named it the Atatürk Science Center.' We came to open this work today. Well done to Mayor Şeniz. They have oppressed this nation a lot in this country. They have tried very hard to confuse the mind of this nation. They made slanders, they made up rhymes. But they could not remove one thing from the heart of this nation. They will not be able to remove it. This nation is both a soldier, a child, and a citizen of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk," he said.

'WE ARE ON THE PATH TO ELECTIONS''

Saying that they have entered the election process, Özel said, "We are on the longest, most crowded, and most combative path to elections in history. Today is the 298th day of the election. Even if they run away, they will run away until the thousandth day. Are you ready to be a soldier of a thousand-day election campaign if necessary? Are you ready for the presidential candidacy instead of Mayor Ekrem? Are you ready to go door-to-door, visit villages, find people, talk to them, convince them, and collect votes one by one? Will we walk together on the roads, in the streets, in the villages, and in the factories? Then let's walk, friends," he said.

News Source: İHA