Özgür Özel speaks from İzmir... A call to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu: 'Let's ask our 2 million members'

In İzmir this morning, riot police units intervened against the crowd gathered at Cumhuriyet Square before a rally planned by Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel. Following the incident, where water cannons (TOMA) were used to disperse the gathering, a different location was chosen for the rally.

CHP supporters headed to Gündoğdu Square, where they gathered and flocked to the new venue for the rally. CHP Chairman Özgür Özel is addressing the gathered crowd from atop a bus.

Highlights from Özel's remarks are as follows:

"When the CHP was founded, it had no building. Those who occupied İzmir came to İzmir and occupied the buildings. They had the buildings, but the true CHP members had faith and determination.

This party was not founded by a petition, but as Atatürk put it, at the Sivas Congress, effectively during the War of Independence, on the battlefields, and in headquarters tents.

The issue is Tayyip Erdoğan staging a coup against his opponent and his party to avoid relinquishing power. Tayyip Erdoğan has found a formula: absolute nullity at the head of the CHP, absolute sultan of Turkey! We will not allow this. We will not allow the alliance of absolute nullity and absolute sultan!

We say: let us hold a congress immediately, quickly, as soon as possible. I am saying this. I say let us compete with the delegates in that congress, with whichever delegates you want. But there are those who are trying to avoid holding a congress and dragging things out.

A CALL TO KILIÇDAROĞLU

I am addressing Mr. Kemal; I invite him to have our 2 million members elect a chairman for a date one or two weeks after the holiday.

We made the party the leading party after 47 years. Do not do this harm! Do not divide the party, do not stop the march to power. Let's ask our 2 million members; whoever they choose, let's hold the convention immediately.

I will not enter into any compromise that would stop this party's march to power, I will not bargain with anyone, I will not sell out a friend, I will not turn back from this path!

Details are coming...

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