Critical messages from Özgür Özel and Ekrem İmamoğlu at CHP's Uşak rally: 'We will topple those seats'

The 98th "Standing Up for the National Will" rally, held every week in a different province of Turkey and a different district of Istanbul with the call for the release of the imprisoned Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and CHP presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, is being held in Uşak.

Citizens filled the rally area with enthusiasm.

Ekrem İmamoğlu's letter was read at the rally by CHP Uşak Provincial Chairman Celalettin Çoban.

The following statements were included in İmamoğlu's letter:

"My dear people of Uşak, my beloved citizens, distinguished ladies, esteemed gentlemen, brave youth, bright-faced children... Greetings from Silivri Prison to this unique city that carries the beautiful, sincere spirit of the Aegean and keeps the ancient culture of Anatolia alive. I greet you all with love and respect. I embrace each of you with longing and yearning. I would like to thank my Mayor Özkan Yalım, who works heart and soul to implement the populist and action-oriented practices of the Republican People's Party in Uşak. I greet my chairman Celalettin Çoban, the representative of our organization's strong and indomitable will and determined struggle.

"THIS SYSTEM'S PROBLEM IS WITH DEMOCRACY"

A year has passed since we were detained and arrested, and the case opened against us, in which the law is disregarded, has begun to be heard. There is a very clear sentence I said in the hearings: ‘Try my friends without arrest, send them home! Because this system's problem is with me. This system's problem is with democracy! You know that the purpose of this case is not to apply the law, don't you? You know that this case is about putting boundaries between you and me, building walls, barbed wire, and iron bars, don't you? You know they have no respect for the national will, don't you? My dear citizens; those who govern the state with the authority given by the nation must know their limits under all conditions and circumstances. But today; there is a government in power that has made acting outside the law through bullying a rule.

"WHAT THEY WANT TO BRING UNDER CONTROL IS THE NATIONAL WILL"

What this government, which forces itself upon the nation, wants to bring under control is the national will. Those who cannot accept the nation's will turning to anyone other than themselves, those who accept coming to power through elections but do not accept leaving through elections, are persecuting those elected by the nation in order to suppress the nation. As CHP municipalities, we stand by our nation with all our strength against the government's economic policies that make everyone poorer and more insecure. We stand by those in need. We strive to be a remedy for the troubles of those in difficulty. In fact, we are just doing our job. We fulfill our duty by giving the nation's money directly to the nation.

"WE WILL TOPPLE THOSE SEATS"

We are coming to put an end to the government's policies that abandon this nation to poverty and hopelessness. We are those who cannot tolerate injustice and bullying. Whatever we want for ourselves, we want the same for others. We are the 86 million citizens of this country who are self-confident, brave, and heart-to-heart connected. We will topple those seats where a handful of privileged groups sit, and we will make Turkey a country of happy and free people who do not know what it means to struggle for a living and do not worry about the future. We are waging a great struggle for democracy! We will protect this country's law, democracy, and republic. Under the guarantee of law and democracy, we will establish a humane and fair order. As a nation; our longing for peace, prosperity, and happiness will end. From now on, only justice and freedom, abundance and prosperity, unity and brotherhood will prevail in these lands. Justice will be served. Everything will be very beautiful."

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel is speaking at the rally area.

Some parts of Özel's speech are as follows:

''Greetings to beautiful Uşak. We did not come to this square today to hold just any rally. Today, there are those in this square who stand against all kinds of injustice. There are those who stand up for their will and their presidential candidate. Today, there are the brave children of Uşak in this square.

When I look at Uşak, I see that photo. I see that magnificent photo that says, 'This is how we won the Republic.'

''SO THEY DON'T SAY 'CHP BROUGHT A TRAM TO UŞAK IN 2 YEARS'...''

We are in a situation where the question of what the AK Party is has become as clear as day. They are trying to prevent it so that they don't say, 'The CHP brought a tram to Uşak in 2 years.' They said 'no need' for an environmental impact assessment at the mine in İliç, which became a grave for 9 workers. But they demand an EIA for the tram.

Meat that costs 1,000 liras at the butcher is sold here for 650 liras per kilo, ground meat for 650 liras, and retirees drink tea for 1 lira in Uşak. Retirees will say, 'It's a good thing the Republican People's Party is in power.' We promise.

"They demolished the state hospital in Uşak, and only the city hospital remains. The people of Uşak have difficulty reaching a doctor. They give appointments for 3 or 6 months later for eye and neurology. For 13 years, the 29-kilometer ring road has still not been finished. They are making Uşak's airport inoperable. They said the high-speed train would start in 2023, now they say 2028. The Gökkaya Dam, it's been 12 years and it's not finished. Uşak is the first city where city lighting was implemented. The sugar factory must definitely be protected, it must never be privatized, and its closure must not be allowed.

''WE WILL CARRY OUT A MOBILIZATION AGAINST DRUGS''

One of the biggest problems in Uşak is drugs. The city has 58 entry and exit points, and it used to be a junction point; now it has become a drug center. We thank our police who are fighting heroically here. We will fight the baron, not the street dealer. First, we will track the black money. The assets of drug barons will be seized, and we will increase inspections at ports; a real international cooperation against criminal networks will be organized. We advocate policies that will completely eliminate the trouble, not by managing the problem. During the CHP government, we will scrape drugs out of both Uşak and all our 81 provinces. In the first 3 years of our government, we will carry out the world's largest mobilization against drugs.

Tayyip Erdoğan does not love retirees. Just as he does not love the youth, he does not love the farmer either. In Turkey, the age of farmers has risen from 38 to 57. Our youth are thinking of fleeing abroad. The survival problem is our problem: the fact that Turkey's youth dream of going to developed countries. The youth will come to that election, the youth will change this government. I also promise the youth: thanks to you, the CHP is coming to power. Youth, a Turkey without bans and a Europe without visas are coming. Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk told us to surpass civilization. When his party comes to power after 100 years, when it governs the country, that unfinished business will be completed, and Turkey will be among the most important countries in Europe."

''HE WEARS A 20 MILLION TL WATCH ON HIS ARM BUT...''

"They are happy because the per capita national income has reached 18 thousand dollars. The per capita national income of retirees is 5 thousand 500 dollars. The average for wage earners is 7 thousand 500 dollars. But the Turkey average is 18 thousand dollars. What does this mean? It means some people are extraordinarily rich. This is the name of this order: the black order of the AK Party. An AK Party deputy wears a 20 million TL watch on his arm, but tells the retiree to get by with 20 thousand TL. He gives the minimum wage earner 28 thousand TL. The house rent here is 20 thousand TL."

News Source: 12punto