CHP Chairman Özel: 'It is impossible for me to engage with Tekin'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, who has been occupied with the agendas of the trustee and the party congress case, was a guest of journalist Uğur Dündar on Sözcütv.

Highlights from Özel's statement are as follows:

"Today, Ekrem Bey's university friends were also in that hall. Ekrem President's roommate applied and went with the same announcement a year ago. The same announcement comes out a year later. He took his lateral transfer documents and even applied by including his school's promotional brochures, even though it was not requested. Istanbul University accepted a 3-person committee. In fact, the university did not say 'come and continue from where you left off.' He also retook 10 courses. His 25 friends who received their diplomas with him are also there."

'HE IS BEING TRIED BECAUSE HE IS A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE'

"Laws cannot be enacted specifically for an individual. None of the people who made lateral transfers and whose diplomas were cancelled, who were watching in the courtroom today along with Ekrem President, are being tried. Why are you not trying those who gave diplomas to those who made lateral transfers? There is no answer. Because Ekrem President is a presidential candidate. The current Dean of the Galatasaray University Faculty of Business Administration had his diploma cancelled, but he received a Master's degree from the Sorbonne University, and they did not cancel it. If the lateral transfer were faulty, could the professor be a dean anyway? However, the professor and 25 friends had their diplomas cancelled, and only Ekrem President is being tried. Those who received their diplomas a term ago are not being tried; they are also sitting in the hall. It is a situation specific to an individual, and because of this, it is shameful; I feel embarrassed."

'17-YEAR-OLD İMAMOĞLU IS BEING ACCUSED'

"17-year-old İmamoğlu is accused of forgery in documents, and a political ban comes automatically. The diploma has already been cancelled, but what will happen if it is overturned in the administrative judiciary when it is withdrawn? Then let's bring a political ban from here. His only crime is Ekrem President's crime of defeating Tayyip Erdoğan. And he has committed this four times and intended for a fifth. I say this with all my sincerity. I say this as someone who sees the events and is a close witness. The prosecution is currently committing a violation of rights to an extent never seen in the world. You thought of these days and did this and that. I cannot bring myself to say it, but if İmamoğlu came out today and said, 'I don't know about the diploma, but I killed someone that day and buried them,' you cannot file a lawsuit against İmamoğlu. The statute of limitations is twenty years. They are filing a lawsuit for diploma cancellation 35 years later."

Regarding the Party Congress Case to be heard on September 15, Özgür Özel stated, "Unless there is a biased judge like in the trustee decision, there is no possibility of a decision coming out of this case that will harm our party, so I have no concerns about the date of September 15."

'I HAVE NO CONCERNS ABOUT MONDAY'

"Ruşen Bey said, 'What would you expect Kemal Bey to do?' I said, 'I would expect him to say, "The CHP cannot be made a subject of the judiciary. My name is also mentioned. Such a thing is impossible,"' but I said it upon a question. Otherwise, it would not fit my party discipline to tell previous Chairmen what to do. When asked what you would expect from Kemal Bey these days, this is what I would expect, but I did not tell him to go out to the public and make such a statement. We saw such a statement that wherever we go, party members have fears. Like, what will happen on Monday? Frankly, I have no concerns about the decision to be taken on Monday. This issue is something thrown out there so that the CHP is stirred up and discussed, and there are some specially selected apparatuses. Unless you run into such a judge, like in Istanbul. He made a very malicious decision."

'I SPOKE WITH KILIÇDAROĞLU 10 DAYS AGO'

"I spoke with Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu 10 days ago. Our founding week is September 4-9; we put it in the charter last year. We had a very beautiful program this year. We have our program where we decide how the party will govern Turkey in the future, and our work carried out under 16 main headings in 4 main pillars. I called him for this. It is not my place to tell the Chairman, 'Say this.' He should be the one to say it. I did not see any tension or hostility in our general dialogue with Kemal Bey."

'EVEN IF THERE IS A TRUSTEE, THE PARTY WILL GO TO THE CONGRESS ANYWAY'

"Excluding our Istanbul delegates, almost all of our remaining delegates. They collected a thousand signatures in a day and a half, and we decided on an extraordinary congress. Even if a trustee comes, the party will elect its chairman on the 21st anyway. The minister said, 'The Istanbul decision could affect here.' We made this decision without the Istanbul delegates. A trustee will come and block it; it won't happen. Because the will is being renewed. No one can block this in a state where you are producing gossip saying 'this and that happened two and a half years ago' without being able to provide evidence. At most, the election will be held six days later."

'THERE IS NO DIVISION IN THE CHP, THERE IS UNITY'

"They are trying to show such an image in the CHP. There is no fragmentation in the CHP. There is no division; there is unity. Yesterday's rivals have also become one and are supporting Özgür Çelik, but they are entering the building with the help of the police. One of them says, 'We entered your den.' Look at the words. It is a waste even to spit in his face."

STREET RESPONSE TO ERDOĞAN

"A trustee was going to come to our building and enter. He said, 'I won't enter with the police,' and then they came and left us face to face with the state's police. Erdoğan says, 'He called them to the street.' Hey, I called them to the house; you closed the street. We told our friends that no harm would come to the police. Gas was sprayed from a span away, but still, nothing was done to the police. They trespassed into the house; we didn't hurt anyone even while acting in self-defense. We wrote a letter and said that the Istanbul Provincial Presidency is in Bahçelievler, and this is the Chairman's office. We made this application to the Court of Cassation. We sent it to the Ministry of Interior; no wait. We wrote to the Governor's Office; it waited for two days. Yesterday, he is asking the Minister of Interior. He is not actually making the address change. It just stands there."

'IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO ENGAGE WITH HIM'

"I am not saying anything because he is a name with whom we have a history. I did not give an appointment because he is a trustee. It is also impossible for me to engage with him. District congresses are being held; the Provincial Congress will be held. What guarantee did they give you that a preliminary injunction decision was given by the court of first instance? What will happen if that injunction is lifted?"

'I THINK KEMAL BEY WOULD NOT DEIGN TO DO SUCH A THING'

"If a trustee is appointed, we are a structure above the Istanbul Provincial Presidency, and we are in office. We can dismiss them. The person who comes after the trustee or absolute nullity to the party will come to take over our duties. The issue of Kemal Bey being expelled from the party is a provocative question. We would want to crown him, not expel him from the party. I think such a decision will not come out and that Kemal Bey would not deign to do such a thing. There is a party congress in six days."

"I do not accept the political assassination committed against my party. The man called Ali Yerlikaya is a man like mercury. If Erdoğan stumbles, these are the ones who will kick him first. These people kick those who fall to the ground. These can never, ever be men of a cause. Erbakan is a man of a cause. Ali Yerlikaya, who are you to have a reputation assassination carried out against the CHP? They let the dishonorable person who cursed at my mother and targeted my daughter into the CHP building. I do not hold grudges against anyone, but this business makes me hold a grudge. These positions will change, they will change hands. Then you will see how statesmanship is done; you will see. They are not men; they are not human. We have been in the same assembly hall since 2011. I served as group deputy chairman for nine years. Not one of them can say you did something wrong in personal law. The day will come, I will shame you. The day will come, you will be ashamed of what you have done. When we enter that building, they have the lunatics who curse and insult a party's Provincial Chairman and Chairman take photos and share them on social media. Let that person who says 'we entered your den' come tomorrow and see."

'WE SHOULD NOT JUST BE ANGRY, WE SHOULD ALSO LOOK AT WHO IS ANGERING US'

I am grateful for the part about it not being right for there to be outside interference in parties. There was also a statement that a trustee is not possible. This is the truth; this is what is normal. No political party should be tried to be designed by the judiciary or the government. One should say this to Mr. Bahçeli. We should not just be angry; we should also look at who is angering us. Let him put himself in my place, and at the end of a court of first instance, a trustee was appointed to the MHP Chairman. What would he say? Would he say, 'Respect the court decision'? Mr. Bahçeli was saying yesterday that the Constitutional Court should be closed. The decisions of the Constitutional Court, as written in the constitution, will be immediately implemented by the legislative, executive, and judicial bodies. Its decisions are binding for all of us. He was advocating for the closure of such a court. And just because he didn't like one of its decisions. Now Mr. Bahçeli is telling me to be calm. On the other hand, Mr. Bahçeli was throwing a noose to a political rival. He was also giving him all sorts of answers.

'WHAT WOULD HE DO IF 5 THOUSAND POLICE RAIDED THE MHP PROVINCIAL BUILDING?'

"We said that even if everyone turns back, we will walk the path of democracy with the MHP. As if I told him to leave the AKP and be with us. Even for that, they say very harsh words to us. I try to be respectful in bilateral relations at the level of Chairmen as much as possible, but things have reached such a point, I mean. In this state, what should I do? What would Mr. Bahçeli do? What would he do if 5 thousand police entered the MHP İstanbul Provincial Presidency?"

'WHO HAS SEEN THE OPPRESSION WE HAVE SEEN'

"We are doing something wrong, but why are those squares in Yozgat and Konya full? Did we get angry at ourselves while I, as the CHP Chairman, was doing politics nicely? Who has seen the oppression we have seen? Is there anything heavier for a party other than during coup periods? They are defining a field for me; it is impossible for me to accept this. Erdoğan says, 'Do it Ankara-centered.' I will do it Bayburt-centered. I will do it Çanakkale-centered. I am explaining this coup to the whole world all by myself. There is a coup attempt against the next President. Do not complain about me to Europe. Going to Europe on the headscarf issue was a complaint in your eyes. It was right. I have respect for Mr. Bahçeli's age, but let them not act as if he never said these things in the past."

'WE WILL SIT IN OUR HEADQUARTERS FOR SIX DAYS'

"It will hold its congress in six days. If there is an absolute nullity, we have a party congress in six days. We will sit in our Headquarters for six days. If there is anyone who wants to come to the headquarters, if there is, we will defend our Headquarters."

'I HAVE MANY MUNICIPAL MAYORS WHO ARE WORRIED'

"The AKP's threats of 'either join us or get thrown inside' continue. I have many municipal mayors who are worried. It is not easy. Even Ferdi Zeyrek is telling his wife that they might take me. I tell many of my municipal mayors, if you have no fault, we are behind you. I will not stand behind someone who has a fault. The day I heard about Manavgat, I expelled him from the party. The 'Heel-wearing Efe' also turned out to be baseless. She also found what she deserved."

'THEY ARE TELLING ME TO SELL EKREM'

"It is necessary because they could not achieve success through politics by designing through the judiciary. Does Erdoğan promise hope to people? Is he solving unemployment? No, he is zero in all of them. What is he doing? He is growing fear through the judiciary. Because he cannot cope with us, he is trying to make us bow down. They are saying all sorts of things to me. These operations will be cut like a knife. They tell me, 'Sell Ekrem İmamoğlu, don't defend him, call these corruption while there is so much slander, go to Ankara and sit at the head of the party for years.' In other words, don't be a threat to the government. Because we said no to these, they entered our building with the police, they appointed a trustee to our congress; otherwise, if you are the opposition of His Majesty, all doors are open."

'WE WILL BE THE FIRST PARTY LIKE ECEVIT'

"I never get tired of working; I do not accept mistakes. I am a Virgo; I am meticulous. If I lock onto a result, I get that result. We said we would quit if we couldn't be the first party in the local elections. Like Ecevit, we will emerge as the first party in every election. If it comes this November, we will win on that day; if they come next April, we will win on that day if they hold it on time. The nation has made its decision."

'WE HAVE REACHED OVER 23 MILLION SIGNATURES'

Actually, we were going to announce it on Sunday, but it became your right. When we reached up to 20 million signatures and analyzed them, we realized we had reached a limit. We did an analysis. We applied two methods. We will have officials in 183 thousand ballot boxes; we have already prepared. These ballot box officials are responsible for the 300 people in their own ballot boxes. They have the lists of CHP members in their own ballot boxes in their hands. They are visiting everyone in the ballot box. They say, 'Your ballot box official is me.' They ask; we are completing the signature in this way. Let's say the election will be on time; we will have tested that friend six times. Out of 182 thousand people, 60 thousand have become active so far.

The target is 26-plus million. We have reached over 23 million signatures right now. We will start a countdown on the signatures."

'THERE WILL BE A PROBLEM IN THE COMMISSION WE ARE NOT IN'

"The commission is our historical consistency. Let them never be afraid of a commission we are in. We have not wanted to make it a tool for politics until today, but we went to hundreds of martyr family associations. The CHP, with its six arrows and nine principles, as the guarantor of the state that counts the Sivas Congress as its own congress, without imposing conditions on the commission, but everyone knows this: the commission's job is not to make a constitution."