Joint statement from CHP's 81 provincial chairs: 'Bring it on, call an election if you trust yourselves'

Following the operations conducted against the mayors of Adana, Adıyaman, and Antalya, the CHP convened its Central Executive Board and Party Assembly. While evaluations regarding the operations continued through meetings with provincial chairs, the closed parliamentary group, and mayors, it was learned that the consensus was to "continue the struggle exactly as is."

The joint statement included the following remarks:

"This is a joint statement by the 81 provincial chairs of the Republican People's Party.

First and foremost, we wish God's mercy upon our 12 soldiers who were martyred in the cross-border Claw-Lock operation and extend our condolences to their families. May our nation find strength.

This is the final declaration regarding the Provincial Chairs meeting we held today with the participation of our Chairman, Özgür Özel, as 81 Provincial Chairs.

Turkey is going through one of the most severe democracy crises in its history. The detention and arrest of our elected mayors, our İzmir provincial chair, and our Party Assembly member one by one is a murder of justice and law. This decision, a product of the Palace's will and political orders, has wounded consciences.

After our party became the leading party in the March 31 elections, the Palace and the People's Alliance, seeing that they would lose power, first attacked our mayors and then began an assault on our party's institutional identity.

We know very well what you aim to achieve with these operations:

You are trying to crush the Republican People's Party, which you could not defeat in the elections, with the cudgel of the judiciary, to dismantle our organization, and to usurp the will of the people.

But you have attacked the wrong place. Our party's history is a history of struggles.

The Republican People's Party is a party that comes from the days of the War of Independence, draws its roots from the Kuva-i Milliye (National Forces), and has gone through the toughest fights in our country's struggle for democracy to this day.

No one has been able to subdue us, and no one will. The Palace certainly never will.

We all know, and everyone knows, that none of the arrests and detentions are legal.

They feel safe by arresting our Presidential Candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu; they will see that they are mistaken.

They think they will silence our Chairman by launching an investigation against him; they will see that they are mistaken.

We have a duty. This duty was given by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who founded the Republican People's Party and the Republic of Turkey. This duty is above everything and everyone.

We will protect the party and our Republic of Turkey, which Atatürk bequeathed to us, forever.

Everyone knows that;

All of our arrested mayors have shown the best examples of a populist municipal approach. Our presidential candidate, Ekrem İmamoğlu, was arrested because he set out to build a country where justice and law prevail, where people live in peace, and where young people look to the future with confidence, and because he would win the election.

By arresting our mayors, you have placed a mortgage on the will of the people.

Every lie told sticks to those who tell it.

Since September 12, this is the first time our party's executives have been detained and arrested. All of these arrests are political.

We call out from here: The detention of our İzmir Provincial Chair Şenol Aslanoğlu in the early hours of the morning at the hotel where all provincial chairs were staying following the Provincial Chairs meeting in Ankara, and his subsequent arrest by the court, is an act of intimidation against all 81 Provincial Chairs.

We do not forget this. And we will not forget.

You arrested our Party Assembly member and attacked the highest organ of our party; we will not forget this either.

We accept these messages. Bring it on...

If you trust yourselves, call an election.

As Provincial Chairs, we say once again to those who use this country's justice system to silence the opposition;

You can neither judge the Republican People's Party in courtrooms nor stop it with political conspiracies.

You have been in power for 23 years; you may see everyone as being like yourselves. We are not you. Do not see us as yourselves.

We are people of an honorable struggle who do not give up and cannot be intimidated.

From our Chairman, our Provincial and District Chairs, our Members of Parliament, and our Mayors, to all our members, we are people determined to keep the Independent, Democratic, and Secular Republic of Turkey, founded by Atatürk, alive forever.

We are the founding party of this country. Today, the CHP is in 81 provinces, in thousands of municipalities, and in the hearts of millions.

This organization does not fear! This organization does not bow! This organization never surrenders!

Those who try to build a regime of fear by targeting our organization will find a will of steel against them.

No matter what you do, the Republican People's Party will be in power,

Ekrem İmamoğlu will be President.

Long live the Republican People's Party

Long live the fully independent, democratic, and secular Republic of Turkey.