Özgür Özel responds to Devlet Bahçeli's early election statement: A message to Erdoğan!

Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel made significant assessments regarding the current agenda while in Hatay for the first anniversary of the February 6 earthquakes. In an interview broadcast on NOW TV, Özel gave a pointed response to the statements made by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, who had expressed that he was closed to the idea of an early election.

Özgür Özel pointed out that Bahçeli has made similar moves in the past and has displayed changing attitudes regarding early elections, stating the following:

'Mr. Bahçeli started in January 2018 by saying "it is foolish to expect an early election," and went on to use the harshest words, even accusing those who constantly demanded an early election of treason in February, March, and April. Just one week after saying this, he went to his group meeting and said let's hold an early election in April. The next day, they met with Erdoğan and announced the June 24 (2018) early election. Mr. Bahçeli is a politician who calls demanding an early election treason one week, and then sets a date for an early election the next. Therefore, I do not take any of his definitions personally. He cannot be saying those words to me. He also cannot be saying those words to prove that there will be no early election. He is either going to make an early election call—he might be warming up the tires like in the past—or he might be opposing Erdoğan's candidacy and trying to send him a message. I did not take it personally because I have not gone to Bahçeli's door asking for an early election. I go to Mr. Bahçeli's door for whatever is in Turkey's best interest. I do not go for an early election, because early elections are his area of expertise. Since he is the one who saddled Turkey with the AK Party through an early election and is responsible for everything to date, Mr. Bahçeli surely owes a debt to Turkey. When the time comes, he will say what he has to say regarding an early election. He will confess his sins to be cleansed of this great sin before history, and he will fulfill his debt to this nation by helping us get rid of the AK Party.'

In his statement, Özel reminded that Bahçeli is a figure who takes initiative on the issue of early elections and has played a decisive role in such critical turning points in the past. Furthermore, arguing that Bahçeli also bears significant responsibility for the current state of the AKP government, Özel stated that Bahçeli could make a move that will deeply affect politics again when the time comes.

News Source: 12punto