CHP leader Özgür Özel in Mardin: The people have spoken, do not silence that voice

CHP leader Özgür Özel set off for Mardin at noon to protest the appointment of trustees to the Mardin, Batman, and Halfeti municipalities, following the move in Esenyurt.

In Mardin, Özel met with DEM Party members alongside his CHP delegation. Taking the stage with Ahmet Türk, Özel stated the following:

'ERDOĞAN CANNOT DECIDE WHO THE MAYOR OF MARDIN IS'

"A friend with me said, 'They removed Mayor Ahmet from office before you could visit him.' I told him, 'No, I will visit Mr. Ahmet. It is not Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who decides who the mayor of Mardin is, but the people of Mardin.' You are pursuing a trustee policy despite the will of nearly 60 percent of the people. There is no conscience here. There is a game being played here, but that game brings no good to us, no good to the nation, and no good to himself.

In democracy, words are valuable. The moment I saw the news today, I said we have reached the point where words end. I warn you once again: do not let the words end. Words are brotherhood. Words are always the solution. There is no solution without words. Mardin has spoken its word in the election. Do not silence that voice. I am calling on all actors in Turkish politics from here. Take a step back on this trustee issue. Abandon this law you enacted during the state of emergency. When it comes to trustees, they appoint them without waiting for the court to conclude, saying, 'I won't wait for the court.' This mentality is one that completely alienates, pushes away, rejects, pits itself against the people, and strengthens hostility rather than democracy or the state.

Therefore, starting tomorrow, in his capacity as President of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey (TBB), Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu will request appointments from all political party leaders one by one, including Bahçeli, excluding Erdoğan. We will rapidly conduct political visits on behalf of all municipalities. I will push all channels of dialogue to the limit, whoever I need to meet with. If some want to make us part of a conflict, we will not surrender to this fear. Turkey has citizens in great distress in Manisa as well as in Mardin. There is unemployment, poverty, and the high cost of living. They want to drag the youth into fighting so that these problems are not solved.

Oh, you evil mind interfering with Turkey's will, there is no place for this mind in the nation's conscience. I was a dove of peace representing dialogue, representing peace, representing brotherhood in Turkish politics, advocating for peace instead of conflict, and leading you all on this matter. The trustee appointment made today is wrong in Mardin, wrong in Esenyurt, wrong in Halfeti, and wrong in Batman. But for God's sake, you talk about state rights, state rights; even if you had the right—which you have none of—to appoint trustees across all of Turkey, you must stop when it comes to Ahmet Türk.

We will be in solidarity until the end."

News Source: 12punto