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Kılıçdaroğlu to Özel: 'We will not shake the hand of the person sitting in the Palace, we will fight'

Kılıçdaroğlu responded harshly to CHP Chairman Özgür Özel's remarks about him 'not shaking the President's hand' during the BAMAD event he attended in İzmir.

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Former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu spoke at the 'Press Freedom Meeting' organized by the Press Freedom and Media Research Association (BAMAD) in İzmir on the occasion of the 116th anniversary of the abolition of censorship.

Kılıçdaroğlu, whose speech was interrupted by chants of 'People's President Kılıçdaroğlu', responded harshly to CHP Chairman Özgür Özel's remarks that he 'does not shake the President's hand'.

In his speech, Kılıçdaroğlu referred to CHP leader Özgür Özel's words, "He does not exchange holiday greetings with the country's President, he does not even shake hands at Anıtkabir, he did not even make eye contact in the mosque," and replied as follows:

"I do not shake his hand so that you do not remain silent and can speak; I do not shake his hand because he called our people 'sürtük' (sluts) and 'çapulcu' (looters). I do not shake his hand because he called my party and voters who are not like him 'terrorists'. I do not shake his hand because he sold our citizenship for pennies and reached for the nation's money. I do not shake his hand and I do not look at his face because of Ali İsmail Korkmaz and Berkin Elvan, who lost their lives in Gezi...

I did not shake his hand and I will not shake it, not because he threatened me, not because he insulted me, not because I was subjected to lynchings and assassination attempts, but to seek justice for journalists, students, and academics.

I will not shake his hand and I will not look at his face because he moved the tomb of Suleyman Shah and abandoned our homeland's soil. I will not shake his hand and I will not look at his face because he turned Turkey into a warehouse for refugees.

I will not shake his hand because he prepared fake videos for the presidential elections.

We will not shake the hand of the person sitting in the Palace, and we will fight!

Democracy is not given as a favor, and it is not given like that in any country in the world. Democracy comes through determined struggle; we will not be afraid of prisons or arrests. If there is a Turkey, we have no fear!