CHP leader Özgür Özel announced: 'We are considering adding two colors to the CHP's statism arrow'

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel spoke to Sarp Sağkal of Cumhuriyet.

Özel made various evaluations ranging from foreign policy to charter changes.

THE REFUGEE PROBLEM AND TALKS WITH SYRIA

How do you evaluate the refugee problem, the future of Syria, and Turkey's Syria policies?

There are multiple difficulties in Syria. There is no single state and its soldiers on the other side of the border. For this reason, border security is a serious problem. We will take an effective stance on this issue. We are planning to hold a Syria conference or a conference on the refugee problem in Turkey next month. We will express our solution proposals there. We had previously stated that we would take initiative on every issue, including meeting with Assad. We have been saying for years that it should be discussed anyway. They were almost becoming traitors just because CHP deputies met with Assad. Now, hours after we said we could meet with Assad, Erdoğan said, "We went on vacation together, we can do it again." Europe signed an agreement that will turn Turkey into a refugee camp with Erdoğan so as not to be the target country for Syrian refugees. They made a 6 million Euro agreement, but on the invisible side, they said, "Let's write reports against Turkey softly, let Erdoğan rule Turkey, let's make a good bargain, let's keep them there," and a shameful process is being experienced. Whatever is happening in Turkey today, it has two causes and a single actor. One is Erdoğan's foreign policy, which interferes in the internal affairs of its neighbor, does not respect territorial integrity, and accepts non-state actors in the neighbor as interlocutors. The other is this readmission agreement made with the European Union (EU). Erdoğan is the actor in both. Whatever problem is being experienced in Turkey today regarding refugees, the responsibility lies with the AKP's wrong choices.

'SYRIA MUST ACHIEVE STABILITY'

Have you established contact with Syria?

We have a connection through unofficial channels. Our friends are trying to plan an official meeting.

There is one side that acts as if the refugee problem does not exist at all, and another side that goes to extremes by using refugees as an excuse. What is the CHP's perspective on this issue?

The place where the CHP stands is very valuable. We use careful language. Time passed and what happened proves us right. There is a cornerstone of a foreign policy inherited from Atatürk. He says, "Respect the territorial integrity of your neighbor, take the neighbor's state as an interlocutor, do not take non-state actors as interlocutors." We declare everyone who comes before us as Kuvay-ı Milliye (National Forces). Now, Turkish flags are being burned in Syria, they say, "They are not the FSA." If someone pulls a trigger for 75 dollars for you, tomorrow if someone offers 200 dollars, they become aggressive against you. The CHP advocates improving relations with Syria and ensuring Syria's stability with the approach of peace at home, peace in the world. After that, it is necessary to build schools and hospitals there for refugees to go there by saying "Open your pockets" to all European countries and structures in the world. An effective foreign policy is needed that can manage America's appetite and Russia's insistence. A paradigm shift is needed for all of these to be done. Erdoğan's policies, which Europe sees as a stable structure for themselves, are becoming increasingly unstable for Turkey. There is no room left for this spear to fit into the sack. I also talk to our political interlocutors in Europe. Turkey's refugee problem must be solved. Syria must achieve stability. You must do your part in this regard. Then you must eliminate something we have long deserved regarding our EU membership. We have applied for 60 years, those who came after us passed us by.

THE RISE OF THE FAR-RIGHT CREATES CONCERN

You will attend the Socialist International meeting this weekend. How do you evaluate the rise of the right in Europe?

The far-right is strengthening in Europe, and the places where it is strengthening the most are even more worrying for us. There are many Turks in Germany, France, and Austria. For this reason, the strengthening of these far-right, racist parties is worrying. I said this at the Socialist International as well. We must fight together. This will undoubtedly be one of the main topics this week.

'WE WILL ADD TWO COLORS TO THE SIX ARROWS'

What is the status of the preparations for the charter congress?

Preparations have been going on for 4-5 months. Work was done in neighborhoods and districts. The opinions of the provinces were taken. 7 thousand contributions have been received. We will hold a congress whose first day will be in Sivas, where the Socialist International Charter Commission will also participate. Because Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk accepts our first congress as Sivas. We will be in Sivas on September 4th. We will both attend the Sivas Congress ceremonies and gather. The charter commission will hold a meeting in Ankara on September 5th. We may celebrate the party's founding in Ankara again on September 9th. But on September 6-7-8, we will hold a very good, democratic charter congress with the participation of congress delegates, provincial chairmen, administrators, guests from outside, and academics, which prioritizes intra-party democracy and removes the obstacles in front of women and young people to include them in politics. In fact, we see the process between September 4-9 as a change congress without elections. We intend to write a charter where the final form of the change in the charter will be given, the steps of the change in the program will be taken; instead of fighting and arguing, there will be reason, discussion, contribution, and a charter that everyone is satisfied with, and we intend to implement it. We are also including our previous chairmen in this regard. You know, some say, "There are discussions in the party for September" and so on. On the contrary, everyone will make the best contribution they can to the charter in September.

TWO COLORS FOR THE CHP'S SIX ARROWS

Can you talk about the content of the work?

We are including the Language Association (Dil Derneği) in every stage of the charter drafting commission. Because in the past, we wrote the charter and sent it to the Language Association, the association made corrections, and lawyers objected, saying the meaning was changing. I spoke with the management of the Language Association. They will contribute at the stage where decisions are made and the draft is put on paper. In other words, we want to make a charter worthy of the second century that will last for generations. We want to write the charter in a very participatory way, not letting it be a tool for such small discussions. We want to make a real party constitution that is not open to abuse and that cannot be bent and twisted by whoever picks it up. If possible, we want to leave September 8th for program discussions. With this program, we are actually thinking of going into a process that is the election manifesto of the CHP in the second century, puts forward an important claim regarding environmentally friendly, disadvantaged groups, and opens space for women in politics. As a mindset, we are considering adding two colors to the CHP's statism arrow. Green, representing sustainable development and environmental sensitivity while governing the state, and purple, representing gender equality. We are filling in the substance of the change.

What do you say to the claim that there are discussions with the previous administration?

We are working in a peaceful environment where previous administrators never feel left out. In fact, for example, I couldn't go to the Sinan Ateş case the other day, our previous chairman went. We are in close relationships. While some in the party are waiting for conflict, on the contrary, there is a completely different goal between September 4-9, where the substance of the change will be filled, and then the program of the second century will be written.

POLLS

Are you continuing your measurements regarding the feedback from society regarding your rhetoric?

Yes, we are still full of polls everywhere. In the local elections, we determined candidates with 355 thousand polls and followed the performance of the candidates in the field with 255 thousand polls. We are measuring how our rhetoric finds a response. For example, while proposing 25 thousand TL for the minimum wage, I said what was requested the most according to the measurement we made. One of our eyes is always on what the citizen thinks.

'LET'S NOT DRAG THE NATIONAL TEAM INTO POLITICS'

How do you evaluate the ongoing discussions over the wolf salute made by our A National football team player Merih Demiral after the goal he scored in the Austria match?

Right now, the National Team needs to complete its matches with full concentration, taking the support of the entire country. They are young children. We do not find it right to make this issue a political agenda in Turkey. We support the National Team as a whole. The matches end, they pass, the place of a political symbol in football, whether this is a political symbol is discussed. One should not attribute the sign only to a political party. When I say Turkey alliance, a lot of people make the wolf sign to me. He himself already said, "I emphasized the power of the Turks." One should not go after a young football player and discuss it. However, those who desperately defended this sign made by Merih also lynched Deniz Naki, who made the victory sign in the past. You say that one should be tolerant of a sign. I am of that opinion too. There is no room for double standards here. Also, one should not drag the National Team into politics.