Özgür Özel puts an end to 'presidential candidacy' debates

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özelarrived at the hall for his party's group meeting following his visit to MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli at the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

After the meeting with Özel, MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli responded to the question "How did the meeting go?" by pointing to CHP leader Özel and saying, "The Chairman will make a statement."

"WE HAD A POSITIVE MEETING WITH BAHÇELİ"

Stating that a 'positive' and 'productive' meeting was held with MHP leader Bahçeli, the CHP leader said he could not share the responses he received from Bahçeli regarding the meeting.

Özel said, "I thank him for both his hospitality and the exchange of ideas during the meeting. After such meetings, if there is no joint statement, the process should continue with the understanding that parties can share their own statements but not the answers given. Notes taken in accordance with state traditions have been entered into the party's archives. In line with our understanding that objects to off-the-record politics, all information has been shared with our party organs. Answering the question 'What answer did you get?' is not our job."

CANDIDACY STATEMENT

Özel also spoke clearly regarding the discussions on the CHP's presidential candidate.

Özel stated, "Everyone should be certain that I will not make the mistake of imposing my own candidacy as the Chairman of the Republican People's Party, causing the CHP to miss a historic opportunity, or giving another chance to an administration that is running out of steam."

Our Chairman Özgür Özel is speaking at our party's weekly TBMM Group meeting. https://t.co/FLy6h96xaj

— CHP ???? (@herkesicinCHP) May 7, 2024

Bahadır Erdem JOINS CHP, ÖZGÜR ÖZEL ATTACHES HIS PIN

CHP leader Özel invited Bahadır Erdem, who joined the CHP from the İYİ Party, to the podium and attached his party pin. Özel said, "Bahadır Erdem adds strength to us. I welcome him." he said.

'I WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO END THE ONE-MAN REGIME'

Erdem, in his speech from the podium, said "Throughout my life, I have always defended the truth and the facts, and whatever I believed in legally. I did this with the strength provided by Atatürk and the founding values of the republic. I will do everything in my power to end the one-man regime that disturbs this nation." he stated.

The highlights of Özel's speech are as follows:

"Yesterday, we lost 9 of our citizens in a traffic accident in Gaziantep; I extend my condolences to their families. I once again pray for God's mercy upon journalist Celal Başlangıç, who did very important reporting against human rights violations in the 90s and whom we unfortunately lost last week in Germany, far from his homeland, and I extend my condolences to his grieving family. Yesterday, on the anniversary of another pain and a great shame, we were at a memorial ceremony with the CHP provincial organization before the memories of Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Arslan, and Hüseyin İnan. We shared this great pain that occurred 52 years ago together, and when Bora Gezmiş, the older brother of Deniz Gezmiş, came to me while he was standing in the back, he said this: 'I said, why are you staying in the back, come here,' and he said to me, 'Mr. Chairman, you are calling me as the brother of Deniz Gezmiş, but everyone here is his brother.' 

I, too, say here in accordance with this definition he made that everyone in this party is a brother to Deniz, Hüseyin, and Yusuf. Their path is the path of a fully independent Turkey, the path of the Republican People's Party."

"We signed a legal regulation that abolished the execution orders related to the May 27 coup and disregarded the execution orders of Menderes and Zorlu. Now, in 2024, I am calling on everyone to work together on a legal regulation that will abolish the decision that sentenced those who had not harmed a fly 52 years ago, those who defended the constitutional order, and those who objected to the destruction of the constitution by the March 12 coup memorandum, to death on the slander of attempting to abolish the constitution."

Akın Gürlek is the murderer of justice, and someone who has been moved from court to court in the Republic of Turkey with ordered rulings, acting as the guillotine of justice, is now the Deputy Minister of Justice and is still harassing journalists. He should know this: neither Barış Terkoğlu, nor Pehlivan, nor any other journalist is alone. We defend these free journalists, who are no one's backyard, and their right to press freedom and their right to criticize—which they do to me from time to time—to the end, and we are fully behind them.

MAY 1 REACTION: "THE YOUTH MUST BE RELEASED!"

Taksim was closed to laborers on May 1. We were there, and we saw the wall of shame built despite the Constitutional Court's ruling. By lining up armored police vehicles (TOMA) in front of the city walls, which are one of the most precious historical treasures of the Republic of Turkey, and in front of the historical aqueducts that carried water to Istanbul years ago, they turned that place into a wall of shame. This wall of shame has unfortunately gone down in history. That wall of shame will always be remembered when this government leaves, when freedoms come to this country, and when that dark day of Turkish democracy is commemorated. On that day, some did not comply with the Constitution. Because they did not comply with the Constitution, they did not let the laborers in. Those who wanted to enter were confronted with our police, who are themselves laborers, under an unlawful order. The understanding shown was valuable, but subsequently, 49 of our citizens were arrested following the events that took place there on May 1. We are in a process where the guilty are declared victims and the victims are declared guilty! The youth must be released. I remind those who ask the nation to obey the law that they must first obey the Constitution.

In the economy, VAT is being increased from 10 to 20 percent through list games in furniture, educational expenses, accommodation, and many other headings in Mehmet Şimşek's mind, which had previously dropped from 18 to 8 percent and is currently at 10 percent. I want to state that the claim before the election that 'we are not planning a VAT increase' was a play on words, that a VAT increase is on the agenda through list tricks, and that Mehmet Şimşek is about to reach directly into the pockets of the citizens. In this country, 76 percent of taxes, meaning 3 out of every 4 liras of tax, are collected from indirect taxes. In other words, the factory owner and the worker pay the same tax when they buy the same product. While 75 percent of taxes are collected through indirect taxes, 15 percent of the remaining 25 percent of direct taxes are collected by being deducted directly from the employees' salaries. Only 1 lira out of every 10 liras of tax remains as tax actually paid from earnings. While so many holdings pay one-tenth of the total tax, so many workers, civil servants, and poor people pay 90 percent. We are rebelling against this unjust order, we are rebelling, we are rebelling!

RALLY DECISION

As the CHP, I invite all retirees and everyone who wants to support them to the great retirees' rally in Ankara on Sunday, May 26. We gave our word; they served this country for years, they shed sweat, they served with their calloused hands, and now we cannot forget them. Everyone will be a retiree one day, and the Republican People's Party will secure the rights of the retirees. 

"IT IS ŞİMŞEK'S BOGEYMAN PROGRAM"

Meanwhile, Mehmet Şimşek is looking for a method to reduce inflation by eroding wages with high inflation, lowering purchasing power, restricting spending, and reducing consumption; he is seeking solutions to the crisis with strange methods. Those who once said they finished the IMF are now implementing an invisible IMF program! They are imposing everything the IMF asked for onto the citizens themselves. Supposedly there is no IMF, but its ghost is here. The program is Mehmet Şimşek's phantom program. Hey Mehmet Şimşek, the ghost of the IMF is always hovering at the window of the laborer, always knocking on the worker's door; take this phantom to the rich for a change, my brother.

Ayşe Ateş said she would be pleased with our visible support in every sense from now on. We told her that we are behind her until the truth is reached, until her heart cools, and until the blood of her children's father does not remain on the ground. We express this once again.

MEETING WITH BAHÇELİ

I would like to thank Mr. Bahçeli and all members of the MHP. We had a very positive and productive meeting with him. I thank him for the valuable insights he shared from his past experiences. After meetings are held, if there is no joint statement, the meeting should proceed with the understanding that the parties can share their own statements but will not share the responses given. During the Erdoğan meeting, they asked, 'Sir, what did you talk about in secret?'

During the meeting, notes kept in accordance with state traditions by an ambassador were entered into the party's archives. With our understanding that objects to off-the-record politics, all information has been shared with the Central Executive Board (MYK) and our party. However, it is not our job to say what response we received after we have said what we said. But waiting for it and watching it is our position. Today, after our meeting with Mr. Bahçeli, even though he told me 'you can make a statement,' I did not find it appropriate to make a statement while keeping him standing there.

I am not going to share every issue discussed in the meeting from this podium. However, I can share that we sincerely evaluated the election results with Mr. Bahçeli and that we accepted his congratulations. I underlined once again that we shared our perspectives on foreign policy, especially on Cyprus and Palestine, and that while the CHP is the main opposition party here, it is a party of Turkey abroad. We expressed our views on the impossibility of making a living with a 10,000 lira pension. We discussed the difficulties that not raising the minimum wage in July will create. We exchanged views on many issues, from unappointed teachers to victims of internships, and from gradual retirement to the problems of specialized sergeants. We carefully listened to and took notes on their positive contributions to many issues and, of course, the issues on which they thought differently.

RESPONSE TO "CANDIDACY" DEBATES

While we are the leading party, things are going well, the election has just passed, and there is still time for the next election, the candidacy debate, even if done with good intentions by our friends, is a debate that benefits none of us. Starting candidacy debates for the next election from now has no other purpose than to lower the momentum of the CHP, reduce its power, and trip it up. I clearly stated this at the MYK meeting yesterday; no matter how well-intentioned it is, no matter how many questions come, I do not find it appropriate for any of our friends to get involved in these debates, and I do not want it from now on. Each of us should keep the candidate in our hearts to ourselves and bring a common feeling in our hearts to the forefront. It does not matter whose heart desires whom. When the day comes, the CHP will have a candidate. That candidate will be determined by the CHP's elected officials, its members, and by listening to the voice of the people, just as this election success was achieved. Let no one have any doubts. As the Chairman of the CHP, everyone should be sure that I will not make the mistake of imposing my own candidacy, causing the CHP to miss a historic opportunity, or giving another opportunity to someone's fading power.

News Source: 12punto