Özgür Özel speaks in the earthquake zone: 'We are facing the negligence of the century, the incompetence of the century, and the audacity of the century'

The Republican People's Party (CHP) decided to hold this week's group meeting in the provinces affected by the earthquake. CHP Chairman Özgür Özel traveled to Kahramanmaraş for the third anniversary of the February 6 earthquakes.

HE MET WITH EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS

Özgür Özel, who held meetings with earthquake survivors as part of his visit to Kahramanmaraş, attended his party's group meeting held in the city. Özel's contacts also included a visit to the earthquake martyrs' cemetery.

Speaking at the meeting, Özel stated that the suffering in the earthquake zone continues, saying, "Tears and laments have not yet ceased in the earthquake zone. We wanted to be here. We started in Osmaniye yesterday morning, and today we visited the earthquake martyrs' cemetery in Kahramanmaraş. We experienced the indescribable pain once again," he said.

HE DREW ATTENTION TO THE LOSSES

Referring to those who lost their lives in the earthquake in his speech, Özel said, "There were those who went to military service and could not return, those who went to the dormitory and could not return home, and those who returned from the dormitory and could not see those at home. I wish our entire nation condolences," he said.

We are holding our party's weekly group meeting in Kahramanmaraş. https://t.co/l3ccqmCgjl

— Özgür Özel (@eczozgurozel) February 3, 2026

The highlights of Özel's statement are as follows:

"In this city with a Medal of Independence, together with the grandchildren of Sütçü İmam, we are at the center of the pain three days before February 6, the anniversary of February 6. In terms of our party history, in terms of our group history, we are experiencing a first in the history of Kahramanmaraş, and we are holding our Republican People's Party Group Meeting in Kahramanmaraş. Welcome, everyone.

"WE SHOULDERED THE PODIUM AND CAME TO KAHRAMANMARAŞ, TO YOUR BOSOM"

Tears have not dried and laments have not ceased in the earthquake zone. They told us; as the Republican People's Party, we wanted to spend this week in the earthquake zone and be here with our entire group, our Party Assembly members, our Central Executive Board members, and our policy ministers serving in our shadow cabinet on the anniversary in these provinces where losses and pain were experienced.

They said, 'There is a group meeting on Tuesday.' We said; the Republican People's Party is the party that founded the Parliament. The Parliament is the place where problems are discussed, debated, and talked about. It is the manifestation of the national will, the sacred roof. If the Parliament does not hear the voice of the nation, if it does not solve its problems; we said the Parliament is the very bosom of the nation, we shouldered the podium and came to Kahramanmaraş, to your bosom.

"MAY ALLAH NEVER LET KAHRAMANMARAŞ OR OUR NATION EXPERIENCE SUCH PAIN AGAIN, GOD WILLING"

We started from Osmaniye yesterday morning. After Nurdağı and İslahiye, today in Kahramanmaraş, in the early hours of the day, as in every city we visited, we visited our earthquake martyrs' cemetery. We experienced the indescribable pain once again. We saw such things, such things happened, you experienced such things; we witnessed the greatest pains, the greatest mourning that a person can ever see in their lifetime.

A family of 5; mother on one side, father on the other; the 8-year-old next to the grandfather, the 6-year-old next to the mother, and in the middle of those 5 people, a 2-year-old baby is lying. Or two twin brothers born on the same day in 2021, who passed away together on February 6, 2023, lying side by side at two years old. So many lives ended before they even began, so many lives ended before they could reach the wedding dress, the veil, the groom's suit. There were those who went to military service and could not return, those who went to the dormitory and could not return home, and those who returned from the dormitory and could not see any of those at home.

In this great pain, we had 53 thousand 537 losses and 107 thousand injured according to official figures. Our Kahramanmaraş; Kahramanmaraş, the epicenter of the earthquake, experienced great pain with 12 thousand 672 losses and 9 thousand 243 injured. I commemorate those we lost both in Kahramanmaraş and in all regions with mercy from Allah. I once again offer my condolences to their relatives, to this entire heroic city, and to our entire nation. May Allah never let Kahramanmaraş or our nation experience such pain again, God willing.

"WE NOW HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO COME TO POWER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE"

After the cemetery visit in the morning, I was at our Chamber of Industry and Commerce. The president of our Chamber of Industry and Commerce welcomed us with a delegation representing all components of the chamber. They also hosted academic chambers; the Medical Chamber, the Pharmacists' Chamber, the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers, all chambers of engineers and architects, and academic chambers. We talked about the problems there, from health to agriculture, from education to transportation, which disturb all of you in Kahramanmaraş, which are voiced in the Parliament by our deputy, which are regularly reported to us by our organization; by our provincial president, his administration, our district administrations, and which are constantly reported by the deputies and party assembly members we sent to the region; we saw what we saw, we talked about what we couldn't see, we took notes, and we will continue to perform our opposition duty in this regard.

However, let us say this much; as the main opposition, we have a supervisory responsibility. We have a responsibility to point out the shortcomings and to warn. But when we look at the general situation, let me say what I will say last first; when we look at Kahramanmaraş, when we look at the earthquake zone, when we look at the situation of retirees in the country, when we look at the situation of workers, farmers, and young people, of course, we have an opposition responsibility with the duty given by the nation, but when the situation in the country is like this, we now have the responsibility to come to power as soon as possible.

For this, we are not just seeing and stating the problems; we are explaining and working on what solutions we produce for these problems, how we will manage when we come to power, how we will soothe the pain, how we will heal the wounds, and how we will revitalize Kahramanmaraş in our Presidential candidacy office, together with our policy chairs and our shadow cabinet, and we will continue to do so. As before, from now on, in Maraş and in all our provinces, we will not just identify problems, we will not just make your voice heard; we will talk together and succeed together about how we will listen to you, how we will solve your problems, and how we will lift this country up in the second century of the Republic, just as we lifted up a country that was liberated from occupation, saved from destruction, and dealt with epidemics, hunger, and poverty 100 years ago, under the leadership of our founder.

"132 BILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO HIS POCKET SINCE HE CAME TO POWER JUST TO BE SPENT ON THE EARTHQUAKE"

Undoubtedly, we are on the anniversary of the earthquake. It will be a group meeting focused on the earthquake and discussing the problems and solutions created by the earthquake. Let's remember. What kind of Turkey were we in when we were caught in this disaster in the early hours of February 6, 2023? Was there a two-month-old government, what else could it do? They just arrived. Was there a two-year-old government? Okay, they have been in power for two years, but is preparing for an earthquake an easy task? We were not caught in this earthquake during the term of a government that had such an excuse. We were caught in this earthquake in one night during a process where they have been in power for 21 years, a duration that was not even granted to Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, consecutively, without a coalition partner, without being able to produce excuses. In power for 21 years.

Everything needed to prepare for an earthquake was there, everything. Do you know what was there, most importantly? There was social sensitivity and consent. The 1999 earthquake had occurred. On the third day, Tayyip Bey had said the harshest words to Bülent Ecevit because everyone didn't have a tent yet. A week later, a week later, a week later, sir, you are still giving the nation a soup and a quarter of bread. Where are the three hot meals? Where are these, where are those? While he was saying this in a process where they were saying we would do this if we were there, we would do that if we were there, they did that missing, they did this missing, while he was saying this with a disrespectful language to the late Ecevit, saying 'Are you going to leave it when you die, man, you are old, you are sick, leave it, let me come', he came with the reaction of the society to the economic program applied to heal the wounds of the earthquake and the pain of the earthquake, and called him, saying 'take and manage', in a period when he told the founder of the party he used to do politics in the past, Erbakan Hodja, 'age seventy, work is finished', and said 'duty to me, not him'. Social consent was complete for the fight against the earthquake and preparation for the earthquake.

On the other hand, legal preparation was complete and finished. Remember, don't we still say that structures built with the law after '99 do not collapse? The earthquake regulation, laws related to the earthquake, everything was ready. Three, don't you need money? Money and resources were also ready. The law had been passed for what was called the Earthquake Tax at that time, and what is called the Special Consumption Tax (ÖTV) today, which Tayyip Erdoğan has continued for 26 years, starting by saying for two years, for two years, and it was going to be taken for two years. Let me say that the 21-year government has collected 3 trillion dollars in taxes since that day, total tax. This is close to twice the total of taxes collected in the history of the century-old republic. But 41 billion dollars of earthquake tax has been collected since that day, only earthquake tax. He made 65 billion dollars of privatization, sold what was left to him in advance, put the money in his pocket, and he also collected 26 billion dollars from the zoning amnesties he issued eight times, that is, buildings that are not earthquake-resistant, columns cut, roofs something, etc., so a total of 132 billion dollars has been given to his pocket since he came to power just to be spent on the earthquake.

"IF HE HAD APPLIED THE LAW, NOT A SINGLE PERSON WOULD HAVE DIED THAT NIGHT"

The houses that collapsed in this earthquake are being rebuilt, Mr. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said let's give them for free, he said it wouldn't be free, now he is boasting that I built the houses, we will talk about it, the total cost was announced by them, 40 billion dollars, the total money spent on the earthquake so far is 90 billion dollars, the earthquake taxes, privatization, and zoning amnesty money collected from the Turkey he took over until today is 132 billion dollars. There is plenty of money. So let's be clear. While we were caught in the earthquake on the night of February 6, if he had kept the promise he made to the nation while coming, if he had applied the law, if he had used the existing money in the right place, he would have built these houses again, he would have demolished and built them himself, not a single person would have died that night. Therefore, of course, the earthquake is from Allah, but it is the servant's duty to prepare against it, and the citizens of this country gave the duty to Erdoğan, and if we were caught unprepared for the earthquake that night, he didn't give a single excuse to defend it. Everyone will know this, we will know the truth, we will talk about the truth.

We are all living witnesses. We heard about the earthquake, and as the Republican People's Party group, we sent a message at 9 in the morning. Go to the earthquake zone by the first means you find, report where you are. The only open airport was Adana Airport, Şakirpaşa. Most of our friends flew there. We were in the field with 120 deputies the next day, having made the task distribution by land routes wherever they could reach.

"THAT ORDER DID NOT COME FOR 3 DAYS"

The sound of the first day in our ears was: 'Is there anyone who can hear my voice?'. But at the end of the 3rd, 4th, 5th day, there was a question asked by those who grabbed our arms: 'Where was the army for 3 days?'. For 3 days, the glorious and honorable Turkish army waited for an order with all its training, young hearts dedicated to this country, and all its equipment. An order. That order did not come for 3 days.

Now I have to express a historical reckoning before history. 1999 earthquake. The commander of the period, who reached with the naval unit a few hours after the earthquake, says 'I saw the situation', and makes a phone call to the late Ecevit. The late Ecevit immediately gives the order, and the Turkish Armed Forces take the field with the first light of the morning with 37 helicopters, 12 generals, 1392 officers, 33199 non-commissioned officers and privates. Communication was cut off. 99, which of us had a mobile phone then? Very few of us. They provide communication with 3 Iridium mobile phone centers and 2 satellite ground terminals. Thousands of injured are evacuated from the region via helicopters and planes with 270 hours of uninterrupted flight.

"THAT DAY 10528, IN THIS EARTHQUAKE THE NUMBER IS 327"

And the result. We will say numbers, numbers will speak. That earthquake, 10528 citizens that the Turkish Armed Forces rescued from under the rubble in 1999 and reached the hospital and kept alive, those who died after being taken out are not in this number, the Mehmetçik rescues and keeps 10528 people alive. The army that stopped for 3 days in this earthquake, it comes out after 3 days, the same record. That is also in the TSK. The name, surname, T.C. ID number of the person rescued, which rubble did you take it out from, which hospital did you deliver it to? That day 10528, in this earthquake the number is 327 friends, 327.

"HOW DO THEY LOOK INTO THE FACE OF THIS NATION"

We will sit crooked and talk straight. You know, when it was said let's take the army out, following the advice of a consultant in the palace, 'it is easy to take the army out of the barracks, it is difficult to put it back in', with the delusion that if they take it out, they will seize the administration, with the fear that they will take the power from my hands, for 3 days, 3 days, some of you wrote on Facebook, some of you shouted at the rubble, some of you went and grabbed the governor by the collar, 'where is the army, where is the army?'. If that army had come out on the first day, let's say it for comparison, 53537 people died in our earthquake today, 18000 people died in the 1999 earthquake that day. 18000 people died, they rescued 10000 people, they rescued 300 people where 53000 people died. With a simple ratio, technology has also increased over time, communication has increased, devices are powerful. Don't think about them at all, while the Mehmetçik could have rescued at least 33000-35000 of these 53000 people in the most critical 24 hours, in the following 24 hours, in those 72 hours, how do those who kept that Mehmetçik inside with a delusion, with fear, look into the face of this nation today, I am ashamed of this too.

"WE ARE FACING THE AUDACITY OF THE CENTURY"

That's why while the nation was waiting for tents, these are the ones who made the Red Crescent sell tents. While the nation was waiting for help under the rubble, these are the ones who sent IBAN to the phone of the earthquake survivor who had 2% charge left on their mobile phone and asked for money. These are the ones who kept the army inside. These are the ones who could not keep the promises they made. They came out and shamelessly said 'Earthquake, we are happy to keep all the promises we made. We survived the disaster of the century... The disaster of the century, yes, may Allah never show it again, but we are facing the negligence of the century, the incompetence of the century, and the audacity of the century.

Let's come to the part he boasts about. He didn't work before. He messed up in search and rescue during the earthquake. He says 'I kept the promises I made'. What promise did you make? What promise did you make? You said 'If you vote for CHP'... When I first heard that, my blood was freezing. The earthquake happened on February 6, February 8, February 9, he says, it's not on anyone's mind, what earthquake? If he had told us that day, if he had told us that day, oh, there is an election, what election in this period, let's postpone these elections for 5-6 months; I swear the Republican People's Party wouldn't think about elections. Two days after the earthquake, he said, 'It is known that there is an election on May 14, beware, if you give your vote to someone else, a year will pass until they learn the job. This brother of yours will build everyone's house in a year and put you in the house'.

"270 THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN CONTAINERS"

Did he say it or not? He said it. But, but unfortunately, no one told him you can't build houses in those days. But he told us 'they can't do it'. Now he says 'they told us these houses can't be built'... Asking for votes by saying these houses would be built in a year, seeing the desperation of the people in the earthquake and saying 'they can't do it until they learn the job when they come, we will do it', deceiving people and asking for votes, and we are currently experiencing the government as a result of those requested votes. So what happened? A year passed. We were here. 2.7% of the houses were finished in all of Turkey, 2.7%. The second year passed, 30% of the houses were finished in all of Turkey, in 11 provinces. The third year passed, it is finishing now, 70% of the houses are finished... Currently, 270 thousand people are living in containers. I went to Osmaniye, I went to Gaziantep, there are a total of 270 thousand people living in containers in every city.

There is no house for tenants, there is no money for the tenant, there is no possibility to enter the house. He comes and cuts off the electricity in the container 'get out now'... 'How will I get out to rent?' he says. 'Sit as you were sitting before the earthquake' he says. The man cried yesterday. 'I am a tire repairman' he said. 'I had an income' he said. 'Now I found a job again, but there is no one to buy furniture for the house, I will rent a house, 15 thousand liras for a house, the cheapest house is 15 thousand liras. He wants a deposit, and 3 months of rent in advance. I have never seen 60 thousand liras in my life, how will I get out of here? He cut off my electricity and water' the man cried yesterday.

"GO OUT TO THE STREET AND TELL THE NATION"

Now he says 25 from there. Minister Kurum, looking into the eyes of your deputies, says in the commission in the Parliament 'we have built so many houses'. He says 'Currently, there is rental housing for 5 thousand liras in the earthquake zone for tenants'. I asked in Osmaniye yesterday, the cheapest is 15, the average is 20. I asked in Gaziantep, the cheapest is 16-17, the average is 20-22. I am asking in Kahramanmaraş, is there a rental house for 5 thousand liras? Is there for 10 thousand liras? Is there for 15 thousand liras? Here the amount of rental houses is 20 thousand liras, even the most uninhabitable house is 15 thousand liras, and Murat Kurum says 'Go to the earthquake zone, there is rental housing for 5 thousand liras' he says.

From here, although we are in the hall today, we were in the square for two days yesterday, we will be in the square again tomorrow. I am telling Murat Kurum from here in our group meeting, I am telling Erdoğan from here; do not mock the intelligence of this nation by giving speeches in closed halls, heating in winter and cooling in summer, not even to your own chosen ones, but to your appointees. Go out to the street, go out to the street! Go out to the street and tell the nation.

As of today, 112414 houses have been promised in Maraş, 73956 delivered... 22% are waiting in Malatya, 43% in Adıyaman, 26% in Antep, in Gaziantep... and 153 thousand of 254 thousand houses have been given in Hatay, 40% are waiting. People get the keys, they are not ready. They say 'ready', you all know that you cannot move into the house without spending at least 100 thousand liras, but mostly 300 thousand liras of additional expenses. If the roof of the house doesn't leak, the pipe leaks, if the pipe doesn't leak, the window leaks, the parquet has swollen, the paint has swollen. Is it true?

"THE ERA OF MINISTER'S CHILDREN IS ENDING, THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NATION'S CHILDREN IS COMING"

We are in a process where the earthquake zone is struggling with all of these. That is why never, ever with empty words, 'let me speak from here, those who know know, those who don't don't, whatever 11 provinces experience, the other 70 provinces think things are going well'... Things are not going well in the earthquake zone. I told Erdoğan, if you say 'good', I say there are works done despite 3 years passing, the state already has every opportunity in this regard. However, there are many shortcomings, there are many objections in Kahramanmaraş, and there is a great rebellion in Hatay regarding this. I said come, come if you have the courage, let's go to the earthquake zone together with me. I was in Hatay that day, let's visit Hatay. Let's go to the container, let's go to TOKİ, let's go to the tradesmen, let's ask how they are, I said. Are you in? I said. Not a sound, not a sound. Can Erdoğan come to Kahramanmaraş and visit Maraş with me? He can never visit. That is why an era is closing, a new era is opening. The era of perception politics is ending, the era of real politics is beginning. The era of minister's children is ending, the government of the nation's children is coming.

"I AM TELLING ERDOĞAN, COME AT LEAST SAY THAT IT IS A FIXED PAYMENT SO THE NATION'S MIND IS AT EASE"

Now another issue, another important issue. An issue that is on everyone's mind. We have a duo in front of us who should normally be tried according to Turkish Penal Code 158 and 209 for making people sign blank signatures if they did this in civilian life. If they did this work in civilian life, they would be tried for usury. A good usurer makes you sign a blank promissory note, someone else doesn't. The Turkish Penal Code severely punishes making someone sign a blank promissory note in exchange for money, service, or property given to a person. Whereas today they are sending messages to the earthquake survivor, calling them on the phone, saying 'your house is finished, come and get it', they are showing the key to the house, you reach out your hand, the state says one minute. There is a blank promissory note here, and there is a contract here. That I will pay blank blank blank liras for this residence and that I will pay blank interest... A young lawyer told his family. According to the Disaster Law, they cannot take interest, cross out the interest part, he said. To those who cross out the interest part, they say 'it won't happen, either you won't take the house or you will sign the blank contract'. I am calling out to Erdoğan from here. Of course, I know you aim to make some of them interest-free, especially shops, reserve areas, etc., or to increase them every year at the rate of interest or CPI, PPI, civil servant salary increase. I am asking this in this earthquake week; now it went to other places, but hopefully it will come on the 6th. Explain how much fee will be taken from TOKİ residences, residences built in the reserve area, workplaces, and that no difference including interest, CPI, and civil servant salary increase will be taken from any of them. Explain this, let us have a service, a contribution to the nation in this 3rd year, as the main opposition you as the ruling party. We said let's do it for free. You said it wouldn't be free, they will pay money. We said no, it's not right, let it be free. No, they will both pay money and vote for me. The person who said 'they will pay money' 3 years ago received the authority from the nation under the conditions of that day. Now he says they will also pay interest. If it were up to me, there would be no interest, no money. But I am telling Erdoğan, come at least say that it is a fixed payment so the nation's mind is at ease.

"ON ONE SIDE HE SHOWS THE KEY, ON THE OTHER SIDE A BLANK PROMISSORY NOTE IN FRONT"

On the other hand, let's remember something like this. So far I have explained this: the taxes he has collected since the past were enough to prepare us for the earthquake. He didn't. So what has he done since this earthquake? It is infinitely useful to remember this at the end of 3 years. Did he say to the nation, you paid the Motor Vehicle Tax once, you will pay it a second time? He said, the nation paid. Why? The money will go to the earthquake survivor. People saw this not as a tax, but as worship, solidarity. They took the MTV twice. He increased the VAT, increased the stamp duty, increased the exit fee abroad. At the end of these, he obtained a total of 15 billion dollars in resources. He also held a 'Turkey One Heart' campaign. We all donated our salaries. First, Chairman Mansur announced it from our Republican People's Party members. We all announced our entire parliamentary group. We all donated our salaries, our incomes... These people are people in such difficult situations, they made such symbolic but such important contributions... A total of 50 billion dollars was collected from that campaign. 6.5 billion dollars of financial support came from abroad. The total money is 71.5 billion dollars in official documents and records since February 6. They say we built 455 thousand houses, the cost is 40 billion dollars. 31.5 billion dollars of money has even increased if you look at it for housing. Still, taking money from this earthquake survivor, it is not enough to take money, taking interest, operating CPI-PPI, and like usurers, on one side he shows the key to the nation, children and family of 5 in a container, mud up to the knees, the weather is cold, on the other side a blank promissory note in front. I am telling these blank promissory note takers: The account of this oppression done to this nation on its difficult day will eventually be asked at the ballot box, the account will be asked!

"OUR DEPUTY IS TELLING ALL OF THESE ‘DO THIS-HANDLE THIS’"

Of course, the problem is not one; the reserve area problem has become gangrenous, they have seized the nation's land under the name of urgent expropriation, there is a victimization of 50 thousand people in Hatay alone, they have valued a 6 million house at 3 million-2.5 million liras. Social life, trade has not yet stood up. Maraş's roads... Ali Öztunç is saying the other day; I also like Ali Öztunç's strong narration, he exaggerates sometimes... He says; 'Come to Maraş' -he is telling the deputies- 'get in the car, travel for a day, you won't have kidney stones, they will all fall' he said. I came to Maraş, I got in the car, it's been half a day; I swear, if kidney stones don't fall, it's good, if kidney stones don't fall, it's good.

On one hand, the asbestos problem; the doctors we sat with today told such things; what a great trouble this asbestos problem will cause in the future, how the Aksu Stream is polluted-polluted, because the high-speed train promise given was not kept, the city is still losing blood, social life-trade has not yet stood up... There are tradesmen in containers without any sales, and there is such a reality; there is no deputy in this group who does not talk about this together. Starting with Hatay deputies, our Malatya deputy, our Adıyaman deputy, there is no mayor left, everyone is calling someone else every day saying 'tell this', Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep deputies, our Osmaniye deputy; they are all telling these 'do this-handle this' to say.

"THOSE WHO WORKED IN SIMPLE PROCEDURE WHEN THERE WAS NO EARTHQUAKE ARE NOW PASSING TO REAL PROCEDURE AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE"

The force majeure ended on November 30. They are already extending it every six months, it ends, they extend it again. Remember, there was an earthquake in Van. The state gave all its power to Van, a city, here ten cities at once; let's lift Van up, it said force majeure until it stands up; it lasted 6 years friends, 6 years! Force majeure was applied to a Van for 6 years. The whole region, the situation is clear, force majeure application is 2 years 9 months from the earthquake -that you realize the first 3 months passed- 2.5 years force majeure is applied and removed. What does this mean? It means 'cotton hands to pockets'. It means the tradesman will pay insurance, will pay tax. It wasn't enough; they passed the tradesman from simple procedure to real procedure. They didn't exempt the tradesman in the region either. Those who worked in simple procedure when there was no earthquake are now passing to real procedure after the earthquake; without asking, accountant money, book money, approval money, notary money to be given; a world of money is already coming out of the pocket.

"NO COLLATERAL IS REQUESTED FOR THIS"

There is no shop, no infrastructure, no customer... There is no shutter to close-to be closed in the shop. In this state, the tradesman needs a loan, those who want a loan are asked for a 'no debt' paper. To get a 'no debt' paper, you must not have debt to tax-SGK, who needs a loan if they were in that state anyway? He wants to restructure to get the 'no debt' paper, the Chamber of Commerce President, the Chamber of Industry President told the problem of this place, the problem of the whole region from the tradesman who went for it today; they want collateral, collateral! You will restructure the debt, show at least half of the collateral to cover the debt. If the man had collateral to cover the debt, he wouldn't come to your door. He wants to restructure that debt, no collateral is requested for this.

"THERE IS NO CONSCIENCE IN THOSE WHO WANT THIS PAPER"

The tradesman used a KOSGEB loan, or rather let's not say used; remember there was a pandemic, there were KOSGEB loans during the pandemic. Then the earthquake happened. The nation says '80 percent thought it was a grant', he also thought it was a grant without knowing what he signed and took it. Now the force majeure has ended, they have sent the letters; as of March 1, they are asking back the money between 400 thousand liras and 700 thousand liras given to the tradesman from KOSGEB. 'If you don't pay, we will put it to execution' they say and they want interest. For this, once again from here; I am calling out from the earthquake week and from the bosom of this heroic city, the city with the Medal of Independence, and from Kahramanmaraş, which has endured so much pain and is trying to stand up; both that no interest will be taken from earthquake residences -if possible don't take any money-, that the force majeure will be extended, and that KOSGEB loans will either be forgiven or postponed to years later without interest, remove the collateral condition and the 'no debt' paper from the tradesman, brother. This tradesman has no debt to anyone under these conditions, and there is no conscience in those who want this paper from him!

On the other hand, the same problem exists for the farmer. Farmers who have Bağ-Kur premium debt need money to buy seeds, to buy fertilizer, to buy diesel. He goes to Ziraat Bank, bring a 'no debt' paper, he goes to Halk Bank, bring a 'no debt' paper. Those who sold 1 kilo of wheat and bought 1 liter of diesel in the past; today they cannot buy 1 liter of diesel by selling 6 kilos of wheat, they are in a miserable state, still 'no debt' papers are requested from them today.

"IF ERDOĞAN SAYS TWO TIMES TWO IS FOUR, CHECK THE MULTIPLICATION TABLE"

Mr. Erdoğan, both our party, me, our mayors, for not going to the region, and even, wherever he found that word, for being 'earthquake tourists'... They were not at the rubble at one point of the earthquake, they took a photo at one point and ran away, they never visited the region again, he says. Mr. Erdoğan said it for both my mayors the other day, I will say that now, and for me he says; 'Mr. Özel' he says, 'Where were you in the earthquake zone until today, why weren't you there?' he says. If someone heard from outside, I mean if he said this not to you but to someone in Argentina, they would say 'shame on you'; 'The social democrat leader has never been to the region'. If Erdoğan says two times two is four, I tell my friends to check the multiplication table, let there be no mistake. Look, I said, how many times have I been there and how many times has he been there? As Group Deputy Chairman and Group Chairman, I have been there 26 times, after becoming Chairman, 23 times, a total of 49 times. I was in Osmaniye for the 51st earthquake province visit yesterday, I was in Gaziantep as the 51st, here I am in your presence for the 52nd earthquake zone visit. Especially when I was Group Deputy Chairman, a car, a Mehmet Uncle, our driver Mr. Mehmet... Erdoğan has 13 planes under him, all the helicopters of the state, all the opportunities... And he has come to the region a total of 38 times. He will make his 39th visit to Osmaniye on February 6; if Allah wills, while he is making that 39th visit, Özgür Özel will have completed his 57th visit.

"He says 'Where are you?'. I swear I am in Kahramanmaraş. I am at the epicenter of the earthquake and pain. Where are you? Erdoğan is in Saudi Arabia. That is, he ran to the prince in Saudi Arabia, where he didn't hug him like he didn't hug his brother when he showed the tip of the green dollar, whom he called a 'bloody murderer' in the past. You are close to the prince, I am close to the beautiful people of Kahramanmaraş. You are a guest of the prince, I came to the bosom of Kahramanmaraş. I came to hug them.

Now what did I say? If he says two times two is four, let's check. Counting these, reminding them, is necessary when there is such a big slander. A Muslim has such a duty. If there is a slanderer in front, teaching him his place means dressing nine orphans. Dressing nine orphans. Dressing nine orphans in kaftans.

Where were you, he says. We were here with 9638 vehicles. We were in ten earthquake provinces with our 28521 personnel. We delivered all kinds of aid to the region, from food to health materials, from tents to stoves, with 7200 trucks, four planes, six ships. In total, 155 mobile kitchens, 163 catering vehicles, 18 mobile bakeries, nearly 3 million blankets, 266 thousand heaters and stoves, 2220 generators, 4 million 600 thousand hygiene packages, 50 thousand tents, 1810 containers came from the municipalities managed by CHP.

Our İzmir Metropolitan Municipality established a container city for 219 families in Kahramanmaraş in Kahramanmaraş. Mersin Metropolitan Municipality bought the citrus on the branch of the Maraş producer. The natural gas lines were repaired by the teams of İBB's İGDAŞ company. These are the valuable contributions of İzmir Metropolitan, Mersin, and İstanbul Metropolitan to Maraş.

"CHAIRMAN MANSUR YAVAŞ WHO LOOKS AFTER IT LIKE HIS OWN EYES. MAY ALLAH BE PLEASED WITH HIM"

Also look at Maraş, what was done to Maraş? 5880 personnel, 431 lives rescued from the rubble, 2150 vehicles brought to Maraş alone, 1381 truckloads of aid brought, 6747 tents set up, 147 containers set up, 6500 breads produced and distributed daily in a mobile bakery, 30 thousand food parcels distributed, and it was talked about a lot at that time, he turned his buses waiting in the garage in an idle state into mobile toilets and showers and solved a very big crisis alone, 12 funeral vehicles, 30 thousand personnel performed the burials in Maraş, 1 million vegetable seedlings distributed to 21916 farmers, 423 thousand liters of liquid fertilizer distributed, 15 kilometers of water line laid personally, hosted 7035 earthquake survivors who stayed at home in his own province at that time, still hosting 700 people in his own province, the chairman Mansur Yavaş, whom we entrusted this place to on the third anniversary of the earthquake, who looks after it like his own eyes. May Allah be pleased with him.

He ran here the day after the earthquake asking what falls to me, they told you Kahramanmaraş. Mr. Seyit Torun, who was responsible for local governments that day, is now in our Presidential candidacy office in our shadow cabinet, and Gökhan Zeybek who came to this duty after him. Since that day, Mansur Yavaş has been in Kahramanmaraş, he did what a municipality could do within its power and opportunities and what could not be done for whoever needed what. As the chairman of the party, I thank him once again from the bottom of my heart on behalf of all of you.

"YOU DENIED THIS, YOU ARE ENTERING THE RIGHTS OF THE SERVANT"

I also tell Erdoğan: You don't know value, you don't know gratitude. 33 friends founded the party, he finished the notebooks of 31 of them, he doesn't have a greeting from one. Never, ever turning back and showing respect to something that happened, there is nothing. But at least 28521 personnel, some stayed here for a week-ten days, some for a month, some for three months, some for six months in whatever state the earthquake survivor was in, some had their first shave 15 days later, some benefited from all container cities-all tent cities when mobile showers arrived, after them they reached water and showed a self-sacrificing effort here. There are people of all views among them. There is no one of one view in a municipality, there are people of all views. May Allah be pleased with all of them. You denied this, you are entering the rights of the servant, you are entering the rights of the servant."

News Source: 12punto