CHP Leader Özel: It is clear what will happen if Israel is not stopped

Speaking to journalists at the opening reception of the 3rd Legislative Year of the 28th Term of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), CHP Chairman Özgür Özel stated that they have always said that Israel has been committing state terrorism since November 2023, adding, "All over the world, especially in the Socialist International, of which I am the president, I am bringing this issue to attention and asking for support for Palestine.

It is evident that the State of Israel has instrumentalized the attacks carried out by Hamas last year—those attacks were terrorist attacks, they were aimed at civilians, and they happened at night—but it is clear that Israel was either expecting or aware of those attacks. I used to ask how a country with such strong intelligence did not notice, how a country with such strong air defense was caught off guard; it seems they did not want to notice and were looking for a strong excuse for themselves. What they are doing amounts to genocide. I condemn the massacre of children and the massacre of women once again," he said.

Pointing out that 4 million Palestinians live as second-class citizens in Israel, Özel continued his words as follows:

"They do not draft them into the army, they do not promote them. It is seen that Israel, by turning the superiority that the election process in the US will create for it into an opportunity, is going through a process where the votes of the Jewish community in the US prevent the US from telling Israel to stop. By instrumentalizing this, seeing it as an opportunity, and most importantly, by sacrificing a whole apartment building of civilians to kill one Hezbollah militant—what they call 'collateral damage'—they have become unhinged. They have reached a point where they are willing to risk everything to change the entire equation in the Middle East. The international community needs to take action against this."

"THERE IS AN URGENT NEED"

Recalling President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's words in his opening speech for the 3rd Legislative Year of the 28th Term of the TBMM, "Israel will be stopped sooner or later," Özel said, "It is clear what will happen if Israel is not stopped. So, there is no such thing as stopping it later. The whole world must take action to stop it as soon as possible, and Erdoğan must do more than what he has done so far."

CHP Chairman Özel continued his words as follows:

"Our group deputy chairmen are evaluating what comes next. If the country's President comes out and says on the floor of the parliament that 'Israel will attack Turkey,' there is an urgent need for a closed session. They will come and inform this parliament. We will also ask and we will speak.

It is clear that this is a matter that requires a closed session where the minutes cannot be disclosed for 10 years. Our friends will work on this issue and make the necessary contacts. We will not present a fait accompli by saying 'come and do it today.' I will ask our friends to request an appointment from our Speaker of the Parliament.

If the country's President says, 'Israel will attack us soon,' why are we waiting to inform the parliament? This is the legitimate representative body of the nation; the matter cannot be left at just words under this roof."