Özgür Özel reacts to trustee appointments after DEM Party visit!

Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Co-Chairs Tuncer Bakırhan and Tülay Hatimoğulları visited CHP leader Özgür Özel at the Republican People's Party (CHP) Headquarters.

Following the meeting, the leaders held a press conference.

CHP leader Özel said the following:

"The highly esteemed co-chairs of the DEM Party visited us today along with their delegation. We were at their headquarters recently to congratulate them following their congress and to wish them success. They have now paid us a return visit. I would like to express our pleasure regarding this and say welcome.

While today's visit is a courtesy call, it represents the first steps of communication maintained between the two parties at the headquarters level. In the coming period, we will continue to maintain our relations with the DEM Party, which is the third-largest party in Parliament, openly before the public, conduct mutual visits, and continue to exchange views on very important issues concerning Turkey.

'WE REJECT THE POLITICS OF TRUSTEES'

Today we discussed the country's issues. We had the opportunity to talk about the economic crisis, purchasing power difficulties, unemployment, and all the crises Turkey is currently facing. During this visit, while discussing the country's issues, we addressed both the economic and political dimensions of the matter.

Of course, the agenda of today's meeting was not independent of the local elections. As the chairman of a political party that founded the Republic in its centennial year and prides itself on bringing multi-party democracy, it is impossible for us to accept a country where some voters can elect their local administrators while others cannot; and even if they do elect them, they are not allowed to govern. Therefore, we reject this politics of trustee appointments once again in clear and definitive terms. In all 81 provinces of this country, in over a thousand districts, every voter in this country should be able to choose who will govern them, and those they elect should continue to govern them. Beyond this, of course, the country is experiencing a major constitutional crisis."

ORUÇ'S MESSAGE ON LOCAL ELECTIONS

Following Özel, Tülay Hatimoğulları Oruç made statements.

Noting that they were paying a return visit to the CHP, Oruç said, "I would like to express my thanks for the warm welcome and hospitality. As Mr. Özel also stated, we discussed many topics today. We tried to evaluate the political process Turkey is going through, economic problems, the judicial crisis, and anti-democratic practices. The judicial crisis has reached such a deep dimension that Can Atalay is in prison when he should be in parliament. The trial of the HDP's former co-chairs continues based entirely on political grounds, through a conspiracy case. We anticipate that it will be concluded soon. These are practices of the judiciary that do not recognize the constitution and the law."

HEDEP Co-Chair Oruç said the following regarding the local elections:

"Local elections are sometimes evaluated in the shadow of general politics; this is incomplete. We must also evaluate local elections through the dynamics of the city itself. In our first statement to the public, we mentioned a 'city consensus.' The point I especially want to underline is that we care about setting out with candidates who ensure the embrace of all social dynamics there, the women's movement, nature and human rights defenders, and all segments of society. We have held a meeting, albeit not in-depth, on what can be done in this regard and what the methods for cooperation could be."

EMPHASIS ON 'CITY CONSENSUS'

DEM Party Co-Chair Bakırhan, who took the floor after Oruç, stated the following:

"Of course, we also discussed and debated the local elections. There is both an unresolved Kurdish issue in Turkey and a dual legal system being applied in the region. For two terms, trustees have been appointed to the will of our people. These trustees are not just a problem for the DEM Party, the voters in the region, or the Kurds. This is also a fundamental problem for parties and individuals in Turkey who call themselves democratic, contemporary, progressive, left-wing, or social democratic. We want this trustee system and regime to end in the coming period. We state that the opposition must present a consistent language and policy in the face of this dual legal system.

Within the framework of the 'city consensus,' we will also be sensitive to the election of democratic, pluralistic, and transparency-based administrators in Turkey. We expressed today that these options, including cooperation and joining forces, can and should be discussed so that our understanding of local government can find a response in the west as well. Our colleagues will conduct a study on what the 'city consensus' entails, which cities will have cooperation in local governments, and in which cities this work can be carried out. I would like to state that as a party, we will make every effort to ensure that a populist and communal municipal understanding, where the will of the laborers and the poor is reflected, wins in the upcoming local elections."

News Source: 12punto