CHP's 'full-court' election campaign begins! Özgür Özel: We are going on the offensive to take power

The Presidential Candidate Office Executive Board meeting was held at the Republican People's Party (CHP).

Following the meeting, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel made statements.

Our Chairman Özgür Özel is making a statement following our Presidential Candidate Office Executive Board meeting. https://t.co/5gZDGluWKj

— CHP ???? (@herkesicinCHP) May 4, 2026

Key highlights from Özel's statements are as follows:

In the meetings we have held so far to determine our party's strategy, we sought answers to the questions of what will happen next and how the struggle will be waged. We have a widely used answer to this: The best defense is a good offense, friends.

From today on, the CHP is moving from defense to offense to change those who do this evil to it, to take power, and to bring justice; it is heading to the field and will explain there what solutions it will produce for the country's chronic problems and how it will govern this country.

The CHP, with all its staff, is hitting the field until election day. Today in Turkey, the CHP organization, the policy board chairs at the presidential candidate office, provincial and district chairs, and ballot box officials are taking to the streets, and they will not return without receiving the wet-signed minutes. Election work has now entered a new phase, and the last day of this business is the day we win the election. They will work without stopping until that day.

"WE ARE IN THE FIELD ON FOUR FRONTS"

We are in the field on four fronts at the central level. The Central Executive Board (MYK), Party Assembly (PM), the Presidential Candidate Office, and our deputies, as well as our officials in provinces and districts, our women's branches, and our ballot box officials will be in the field.

106 thousand ballot box officials are starting to meet one-on-one with the voters who will cast their ballots that day, to communicate at eye level, to shake their hands, to get to know them, and to be with them.

The figure is 106 thousand as of May 4, 2026. They reported that they are ready to start their 'my ballot box' program and field visits this morning.

Our target is 186 thousand, and we aim to reach this within two months.

I cannot say that from today on we are starting to work without leaving a single shop or market unvisited, or a single hand unshaken... It would be unfair to the soldiers of our organization who are still working, but we are participating in these efforts at full capacity.

Since the 2023 election, we had tried to keep our organization mobilized, as they are already accustomed to, without ever pulling them off the streets for such a state of mobilization. We held 105 rallies and, as a result, made our party the leading party after 47 years.

After this success, we did not say 'let's enjoy it'; we conducted field work and public meetings with public gatherings and thematic rallies.

"15.5 MILLION PEOPLE CAME, CHOSE, AND MADE HISTORY"

With our nation showing that it wanted a change of government in the local elections, we made the decision to determine our presidential candidate again through a primary election in the field. We had announced that we would hold a primary election on March 23 and determine our candidate in this election.

With that decision, our number of members reached a figure approaching 2 million from 1.2 million. On the very day of the primary election, they arrested our presidential candidate.

We invited our people to show solidarity with us at those primary election ballot boxes. 15.5 million of our citizens opposed the coup by coming to the ballot boxes and forming queues. 15.5 million of our citizens gave an answer to the tyranny of the coup plotters on a Sunday, they came, they chose, and they made history.

With the arrest of our candidate, we launched the largest signature campaign in history. 25.5 million of our citizens signed the text saying, "Leave my candidate alone, bring the ballot box; I want my candidate by my side and the ballot box in front of me."

Following these efforts, 7 days after we resisted the March 19 coup in Saraçhane, we announced that we would not stop and decided to continue the rallies.

We held rallies in all districts of Istanbul, we held rallies in 3 regions, and with the "The Will Belongs to the Nation" rallies, the 107th of which I held yesterday, we are in the field and on the streets.

We were in Karabük yesterday; the fact that the square could not contain the crowd was on the agenda of all press and media outlets.

We would like to underline that the fact that we filled squares we had never been able to go to before with a crowd that no one else could fill is not an invitation from a political party, but that those who filled it are the nation's longing for justice. Those who came to defend the ballot box, the greatest achievement of the republic, not a political party, filled those squares.

"DO NOT RETURN HOME WITHOUT SAVING DEMOCRACY"

Since November 2023, we have been calling on our nation, which has been in the squares 242 times, not to return home without saving democracy. Everyone should meet in the street, in the square when called, and say the final word at the ballot box, and save the nation. When they return to their homes, they will find us at their doors as well.

There is no justice in income, taxes, courts, or social life. We are in an unending economic crisis, and there is no sign that this crisis will end unless the government changes. With the figures announced today, 4-month inflation has reached 14.6 percent. This government's annual inflation target at the beginning of this year was 16 percent. They reached the figure to be reached in 1 year in 4 months, even with TUIK figures.

The raises given to retirees, workers, and civil servants were based on this target, but that rate was reached in 4 months.

We wake up every day to news of price hikes and unlawful operations. We are on the streets against all these injustices. Those who brought Turkey to this state could not be a hope for the Turkish people and they never will be.

No operation, no conspiracy will be able to turn us from our path, and ambushes will not be able to stop us.